F1: Christian Horner to Face Red Bull Hearing Following 'Inappropriate Behaviour' Complaint
The current Formula One world champions, Red Bull Racing, are set to conduct an internal company hearing on Friday to address the recent allegations against team principal Christian Horner.
By Divyam Dubey
Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner is set to undergo a hearing this Friday in response to allegations made against him. According to a German publication, Red Bull is trying to keep the probe from detracting from the introduction of the RB20, the team's Formula One car for 2024, which is set to take place on Thursday, February 15, at Red Bull's facilities in Milton Keynes. Allegations against Horner, purportedly involving inappropriate controlling behaviour, prompted the parent company of Red Bull to publicly announce on Monday that an independent investigation into the situation has been initiated. Horner strongly rejects the claims, even though Red Bull did not elaborate. According to BBC Sport, the claims centre on actions taken against a female coworker.
F1: Christian Horner to Leave Red Bull?
When it comes to managing Formula One teams, Christian Horner has more experience than anybody else. Following Red Bull Racing's 2005 purchase of the Jaguar team, the British figure assumed leadership responsibilities. Red Bull Racing had a spectacular season in 2023 under his leadership. Max Verstappen won the championship for the third year in a row, and the team won 21 of 22 races. There is a tangible sense of excitement as the 2024 season draws near, with testing set to commence in Bahrain later this month.
Even though Horner is still the head of the Formula One team, he could leave if the accusations are proven to be genuine and the situation gets worse. With seven driver's titles and six constructors' championships under Horner's wing, Red Bull is a heavy favourite to continue their dominance this season. Red Bull's reign of supremacy may come to an end and cause shockwaves in the sport if Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey, a legendary figure in Formula One engineering, and Horner were to hypothetically leave the organisation. This would drastically alter the dynamics of the squad.
People have started to speculate about possible heirs. The head of Motorsport, Dr. Helmut Marko, allegedly has no interest in taking up the position at Milton Keynes. While this is happening, Team Manager Jonathan Wheatley could take charge of the team. Although he began his Formula One career in the 1990s as a mechanic for Benetton, the 56-year-old Britishman joined Red Bull Racing in 2006 and worked his way up to team manager.
