Christian Horner – latest: Red Bull boss claims team ‘never stronger’

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has hit out over the length of the season.

“I feel already that we are way over the limit of races,” said Verstappen, who questioned if some drivers might “start shortening their careers” over the workload. Since Liberty Media took over F1 ahead of the 2017 season, the number of races has risen from 20 to 24.

The growth is driven by Liberty’s strategy of staging races in destination cities like Las Vegas, Miami, the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and from 2026, the Spanish capital Madrid.

Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez voiced concern for staff on F1 teams who, he said, seemed exhausted at the final races of last year.

“I remember seeing a lot of zombies in Abu Dhabi, after Vegas,” he said Wednesday. “We are trying to basically put some points across that it’s not only for the drivers, to be honest. There’s a lot of mechanics, engineers and basically they travel the world weekend after weekend, a lot of hours on the planes.”

Daniel Ricciardo has topped the first practice of the season in Bahrain, clocking 0.032 secs quicker than McLaren’s Lando Norris in second. Oscar Piastri is in third, with Yuki Tsunoda in fourth – all on soft tyres. Fernando Alonso was the fastest on the medium tyres, ahead of Max Verstappen, who was sixth overall.

Second practice later on – under the lights – will be more telling ahead of qualifying and the race.

Horner was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague, who lodged an official complaint with the organisation earlier this month. He continued his role as Red Bull Racing’s team principal while an investigation was conducted by an externally appointed lawyer.Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, which begins with first practice on Thursday, Brundle said that the verdict brought a decisive conclusion to the saga.

Latest: Christian Horner admits he is “pleased” the investigation into alleged “inappropriate behaviour” is over as the Red Bull F1 boss returned to the paddock in Bahrain on Thursday.

The complaint from a female colleague, first publicised on February 5, alleged “inappropriate, controlling behaviour” against the Red Bull team principal. Horner strongly denied the allegations, both initially and in public at Red Bull’s 2024 F1 car launch in Milton Keynes as well as last week at pre-season testing.

But after an investigation was conducted and completed by an external lawyer, the world champions’ parent company Red Bull GmbH confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that the “grievance” against Horner has been dismissed. The female colleague does, however, have the right to an appeal.

Full story, by Kieran Jackson:

After the most dramatic off-season in recent Formula 1 history comes its longest-ever season.

Thursday practice for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix begins the first of 24 race weekends this season. Champion Max Verstappen is among several drivers raising concerns about the impact of a relentless schedule.

Ahead of practice in Bahrain, the focus is on Red Bull and its team principal Christian Horner, who is set to continue in his job following an allegation of misconduct against a team employee. The team’s parent company in Austria said Wednesday that a grievance made against him had been dismissed after an investigation.

Also this off-season, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton stunned the sport by announcing he is moving to Ferrari next year. The switch surprised his current team, Mercedes, and even his parents. Netflix star Guenther Steiner was removed from his role leading the Haas team.

It’s been a lot for drivers and F1 fans to follow even before a marathon season begins. All three of the current and former champions on the grid — Hamilton, Verstappen and Fernando Alonso — agree 24 races push the limits of what F1 drivers and team members can take.

“When I started we had 16 races,” two-time champion Alonso, who has a record 377 career race starts, said Wednesday. “Now we are up to 24 and this is not sustainable for the future for anyone.”

Twenty-three days after allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” first emerged through whispers in the Dutch press, and following countless denials on the eve of the new Formula One season, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has finally won the battle of his life.

Touching down in the Middle East on Wednesday night, Horner will be one relieved man stepping off his private jet. A team principal and chief executive who has barely missed a race since taking the reins at the inception of his Red Bull team in 2005, the 50-year-old will take his usual place on the pit wall at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend as a man exonerated.

The statement on Wednesday afternoon from Red Bull GmbH – the parent company, based in Salzburg, of Horner’s Red Bull Racing – was unwavering. It spoke of an investigation, outsourced to an external KC, which was “fair, rigorous and impartial” and a “grievance” which has now been dismissed.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is up and running with first practice in Sakhir. You can follow all the latest here:

Addressing the controversy on Thursday, Williams team principal James Vowles said he has to believe Red Bull’s process has been thorough.

Vowles said: “I have a responsibility for Williams, and if anything like that happens here, I would want to make sure we properly investigate it and do a robust process that is clear to the outside world what has happened and what we can do to rectify that.

“I trust that Red Bull have done a strong process and we have to in that circumstance.

“But what I want is us as a sport to be proud that we are sitting on a set of foundations that is one of inclusivity, one of openness and transparency and all I ask in that matter is that we make sure we have faith and trust that all of the organisations are working for the same standards.”

Christian Horner will remain in his role as Red Bull F1 team principal after an investigation into allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” made by a female colleague was dismissed.

A statement from Red Bull confirmed Horner has been cleared of all charges ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. Horner emphatically denied the claims.

Here is a timeline of how the allegations played out:

It’s lights out on the new season in 35 minutes!

This Saturday’s season opener in Bahrain is the first of a record-breaking 24 races in 2024, which sees the season stretch from Bahrain GP practice today, 29 February, to the finale in Abu Dhabi on 8 December.

Max Verstappen is the unquestionable favourite to claim his fourth straight world championship this year, with Red Bull winning 21 out of 22 races last year and the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all playing catch up.

But will there be a surprise in store? Can anyone make the jump up into the midfield contenders? And how will a fascinating driver market develop throughout the year?