Christian Horner – latest: Red Bull F1 boss awaits fate after allegations

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s ongoing live coverage of the Christian Horner ongoing investigations.

We will be bringing you the latest news throughout the weekend following the events on Friday

Speaking about their season of domination last year and whether they can match it in 2024, Horner said: “I couldn’t have imagined it in a million years.

“I don’t think we’ll ever see a repeat, certainly not in our lifetimes, of what we managed to achieve [last] year with a car that’s managed the kind of dominance of RB19 [the 2023 car].

“I’m fully expecting with stable regulations, [there’ll be] diminishing returns for us [this year] because I think we got to the top of the curve quicker than others.

“The field is going to converge. For us, it’s difficult to know who that will be. Will it be McLaren? Will it be Ferrari? Will it be Mercedes? It keeps moving around behind us. But that’s what we’re fully expecting going into [this] year.”

“There’s always a reset as you go into the following year. I’m convinced that you’ll see a lot more cars that look like the RB19 philosophy going into next year. If you stand still in this business, you tend to be going backwards. I think we have got up that curve quicker than others, but we’re into a law of diminishing returns.”

Silverstone signs new deal with F1 to host British Grand Prix

The Silverstone circuit played host to the first ever F1 race back in 1950 and has hosted the British GP since 1987. Previous to that, the track alternated with Brands Hatch.

The modern Silverstone has undergone numerous renovations and is now one of the most popular races on the calendar, with 480,000 fans attending last year’s event which includes a music festival alongside the racing on-track.

Their contract with F1 was due to expire after this year’s race but a 10-year extension means Silverstone will continue as a mainstay on the calendar.

“This long-term commitment reflects the importance of the British Grand Prix to Formula 1 and their acknowledgement of our ability to deliver a world-class experience for the British fans who are among the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable in the world,” said Silverstone CEO Stuart Pringle.

A spokesperson for Red Bull tells The Independent: “As already stated, it would not be appropriate for us to comment before the investigation is completed.”

Christian Horner’s future as Red Bull F1 boss remains in the balance after he met with the lawyer in charge of the investigation into the team principal on Friday in London.

Horner has been accused of “inappropriate, controlling behaviour” by a female colleague and is currently at the centre of an investigation by the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH.

The 50-year-old, who has been in charge of Red Bull Racing since its inception in 2005, strongly denies the allegations levelled against him.

Horner met with the external barrister at a secret location in central London on Friday. It is now a waiting game to see if the matter is resolved, one way or another, before Red Bull launch their 2024 F1 car at their base in Milton Keynes on Thursday (15 February).

However, given the complex nature of the matter and the need for both sides to be fairly heard, the case could well overrun into late next week and beyond. The new F1 season starts on 2 March in Bahrain.

UPDATE: Horner has met today in London with the external barrister tasked with leading the investigation into the Red Bull F1 boss.

Preferably, the matter would be settled before the team’s 2024 car launch on Thursday.

However, the complexity of the case – with further interviews likely – may well mean the case stretches beyond the car launch on 15 February, which Horner is still scheduled to be present at.

It remains to be seen whether Horner will be at the launch, particularly if the investigation is still ongoing.

Pre-season testing starts on 21 February in Bahrain, with the first race of the season on 2 March at the same track. Horner would be expected to be present for both.

“After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.

“This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.

“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible.

“It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”

Christian Horner’s influence on Formula One – from the 31-year-old hotshot team principal in 2005 to unmissable mainstay of the paddock nearly 20 years on – is unquestionable. The Red Bull boss was tasked with a monumental mission when he was put in charge of the energy drink giant’s peculiar foray into the pinnacle of world motorsport in the mid-2000s. The castle he has built since has been stratospherically impressive. Case in point was last year’s near-perfect season, winning 21 out of 22 races. It has all been, perhaps, even beyond his own lofty aspirations.

But it could all come crumbling down. As details emerged on Monday, Horner is now subject to an investigation by Red Bull’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, after a complaint of “inappropriate behaviour” was made by a female colleague. The Associated Press elaborates slightly further, claiming it is about the 50-year-old’s aggressive management style. Horner strongly denies the allegations and there will be a hearing on Friday.

Red Bull GmbH has handed over the matter to an “external specialist barrister” to conduct the investigation, thus illustrating the seriousness of the matter and how it is being dealt with by Red Bull GmbH chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff. With less than a month until the new F1 season, it represents a vital moment in the team’s 19-year history. And depending on the outcome, the ramifications for not just Red Bull but for the whole sport could be seismic.

The current state of play – with Red Bull the dominant team, having won three drivers’ championships in a row after the best statistical season in the 74-year history of F1 – makes this latest news even more pertinent. There are stories of unease surfacing at Red Bull, despite their unprecedented success.

Mateschitz’s death in 2022 saw Horner lose his closest supporter within the wider Red Bull machine, in a period where he was under intense pressure as a result of Red Bull breaching the 2021 cost cap. In the 15 months since, rumblings of conflict between Horner and Marko – in charge of the Red Bull junior programme and, often to his detriment, extremely outspoken – have circulated.

They disagreed on picking Nyck de Vries for Red Bull’s junior team last year, with Horner later vindicated when the Dutch driver was dropped after just 10 races.

Marko ran into hot water a few months later when he referred to Sergio Perez’s ethnicity when discussing his inconsistent form.“Let’s remember that he (Perez) is South American and so he is not as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel was,” Marko said, though Mexican driver Perez isn’t actually from South America. He later apologised. Now, there seems to be vague groups of support for both men, who are both tied down to long-term deals.

More significantly, however, there is speculation that Newey can depart the team should Horner leave, and vice-versa. The consequences of both men departing, having been at the helm of the Red Bull juggernaut for 19 years and counting, would be gigantic ahead of a new era of F1 regulations in 2026.

Even if it isn’t written into any contracts, would one stay without the other? They have been something of an inseparable duo.

Horner is currently in a meeting with the English barrister in charge of the investigation into “inappropriate behaviour” levelled against the Red Bull boss.

Preferably, Red Bull want this settled before the launch of their 2024 F1 car on Thursday in Milton Keynes.

However, The Independent understands the complexity of the case – with further interviews likely and the female colleague who made the allegations probably needing to respond to Horner’s initial comments today – may well mean the case stretches beyond the car launch on 15 February.

Pre-season testing starts on 21 February in Bahrain, with the first race of the season on 2 March at the same track. Horner would be expected to be present for both.