Christian Horner’s Red Bull investigation: All we know so far

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reportedly been accused of inappropriate behavior towards his employees. After RBR Austria released a statement regarding the same, an investigation was allegedly launched against him by a third-party investigator. Although not much has been revealed about the investigation so far, there are some clues about where it is currently leading.

According to F1 journalist Craig Slater, Red Bull and Horner had been in a meeting at a secret venue in London for the entire day. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Milton Keynes in the team's headquarters but the venue had to be changed because of the "media's interest."

From what is known so far, a female employee accused Christian Horner of "controlling and coercive" behavior towards the employees. It was also earlier reported that Horner had been asked to step down from the team principal position voluntarily. Horner has denied the allegations.

Furthermore, De Telegraaf had reported that Horner's fate with RBR rests in the hands of Chalerm Yoovidhya, who owns a 51% stake in the team. However, there has been no further information regarding this.

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Christian Horner could miss Red Bull's car reveal amidst the investigation

According to Sky Sports' Craig Slater, the investigation against Horner might not arrive at a decision anytime soon, and because it is such a major and sensitive topic, it would have nothing to do with the F1 calendar. This could also mean that Horner might have to miss the team's livery reveal.

"What I can see is I don't expect an outcome or resolution to this by the end of the day. I have been led to understand that this could be a long process Red Bull says going to be very thorough and because it's going to be thorough it will not be going towards or according to an F1 timetable. Red Bull have the launch of their car next Thursday for example."

RBR is currently set to be the last one to reveal their challenger. The scheduled date is set for February 15. With the investigation in process, Horner might not only miss this but also the pre-season testing in Bahrain from the 21st to the 23rd of February.

Christian Horner has been the team principal of the Milton Keynes outfit since their inception in 2005. At the time, he was the youngest team principal of any F1 team and currently, he is the longest-serving team principal on the grid. He has been a key factor in the team's success over the years.

Red Bull would be coming into the 2024 F1 season as the defending World Champions. Max Verstappen won his third consecutive championship in 2023 while the team won their sixth constructors' title.