Red Bull team principal Christian Horner cleared of ‘inappropriate behaviour’
Christian Horner will continue as team principal of the Red Bull Formula One team after he was cleared of "inappropriate behaviour".
Red Bull Racing’s parent company Red Bull GmbH announced on February 5 that Horner was under investigation following the accusation by a female colleague.
Horner emphatically denied the claim and the 50-year-old, who arrived in Bahrain on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s opening race of the Formula One season, will stay on as team principal of the British team.
A statement from Red Bull GmbH read: “The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.“
"The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial.
“The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned.
"Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards.”
Horner fully co-operated with the investigation, having been questioned by a lawyer for around eight hours earlier this month at a secret London location away from the team’s Milton Keynes headquarters.
During the internal probe, he continued to be present for official Red Bull activities – including the new car launch in Milton Keynes earlier this month, and also pre-season testing in Bahrain last week.
Asked whether he had considered temporarily stepping aside until the conclusion, Horner stressed it was "business as usual".
He said: "Obviously, I fully deny any accusations that have been made against me, but of course I’ll work with that process, which I hope is concluded in the near future."
A timeline of events since the accusations against Horner became public:
February 5 – Red Bull Racing’s parent company GmbH confirms Horner is under investigation following an accusation of “inappropriate behaviour”. The company says it “takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible”.
February 9 – Horner is questioned by a lawyer for eight hours at a secret London location. There is no immediate resolution.
February 15 – Horner appears at Red Bull’s car launch – his first appearance in public since news of the allegations emerged. He vows to be in his role as Red Bull team principal for the first race of the season, and says: “For me, it is business as normal.”
February 18 – F1 makes its first public comment on the matter, calling for Horner’s future to be “clarified at the earliest opportunity”.
February 20 – Despite the ongoing investigation, Horner flies to Bahrain for three days of testing ahead of the new season.
February 21 – Horner takes his position on the Red Bull pit wall for the opening day of the test. Rival Mercedes boss Toto Wolff demands transparency from Red Bull’s investigation, and says the controversy is “an issue for all of Formula One”.
February 22 – Horner appears in a press conference alongside four other F1 team principals. He refuses to comment on the investigation, but says “everybody would like a conclusion as soon as possible”.
February 23 – Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen says “it will be nice for everyone” when the investigation into Horner is concluded. Horner heads back to England following the conclusion of the test.
February 28 – Red Bull GmbH announces the “independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed”, clearing Horner to remain in his position.
Horner has been Red Bull team principal since they entered F1 19 years ago and is the longest-serving boss on the grid.
Under Horner’s leadership, he has overseen seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles at the British-based F1 team.
Red Bull have dominated the sport in recent seasons and last year won 21 of the 22 races – with Dutch driver Max Verstappen setting a new record for 10 consecutive victories.
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