"They are just trying to smear Horner" - F1 fans divided on Red Bull boss Christian Horner's presence during the car launch 

The F1 community on social media was left divided in its opinion after seeing Red Bull team principal Christian Horner at the RB20 launch.

A few weeks back, Horner was engulfed in an intra-organization fiasco as a Red Bull team employee accused the team principal of 'controlling and coercive behavior.' Following the allegations, he faced an investigation on February 9.

On the occasion of RB20's launch, Christian Horner opened up about the allegations, marking his first public interaction since they were first reported. In a conversation with Sky Sports, he outrightly denied all the accusations and showed his trust in the process, saying:

"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."

Going further, Red Bull's team principal shed light on the negative spotlight attracted by the team and how they are coping:

"That's always unfortunate. But the team is strong, it's together and today is an important day as we lay a marker down for the season ahead."

Following his comments, the F1 fanbase on X (formerly Twitter) provided a mixed bag of reactions, with some supporting him, while others preferred to wait until the investigation concluded.

"They are just trying to smear Horner," opined one fan.

Here are a few reactions standing in support of Christian Horner:

Here are a few reactions from fans who seemed to have their doubts about the situation:

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Christian Horner clears the air about his rumored rift with the Verstappens and Helmut Marko

Apart from the accusations slammed against Christian Horner, many fans believe sourness had crept in between his relationship with Max and Jos Verstappen, and Helmut Marko. However, Horner rubbished theories of a tumultuous relationship with the Verstappens and said:

"No not at all. I was with Jos and Max at Silverstone a couple of days ago. Max is very focused on his job. He's been very supportive and I'm looking forward to the season ahead with him."

The Red Bull team principal added his verdict on the speculations circling around his relationship with Marko, saying:

"There's always going to be speculation but we're together as one team, that's the way we've always been and that's the way we continue to be."