Breaking: Red Bull’s F1 team principal, Christian Horner, is the subject of an inquiry
Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull’s wildly successful Formula 1 racing team, is the subject of an inquiry. Red Bull described Horner’s investigation—he is the CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing—as independent in a statement released on Monday. It would not explain why the inquiry was conducted.
“The corporation started an independent investigation after learning of certain recent complaints. An outside specialized barrister is handling this process, which is now under progress, according to a statement from Red Bull. “The organization takes these issues very seriously, and the inquiry will be finished as soon as it is viable to do so. Further comments would not be acceptable at this time.
The claims were made public following their publication in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. International media reports state that Horner has denied any misconduct. Requests for feedback made via social media and to a Hollywood agency that books Horner as a paid speaker went unanswered for some time. Additionally, Formula 1 did not answer a request for comment right away.
In the world’s most prestigious auto racing series, Red Bull is the current constructors’ champion. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing easily defeated rivals in the 2023 season to win the drivers’ championship for a record third time. The team also won the constructors’ title for the second consecutive year.
Before Verstappen’s 2021–2023 three-peat, Horner, 50, commanded Red Bull from 2005 to 2013. He had a reputation for being a tough guy but also saw remarkable success, winning four drivers’ championships with Sebastian Vettel between 2010 and 2013. Under Horner’s direction, it has won six constructors’ championships.
In 2015, he wed music sensation Geri Halliwell, who was formerly of Spice Girls. He received the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire last year. The London-based Formula 1 has experienced growing success in the United States, a market it had long failed to break into. Bahrain is set to host the first race of the 2024 season on March 2.
The league enjoyed an increase in domestic viewership in recent years, added an American driver, and staged three races in the United States in 2023. The three U.S. races are expected to be held there once more this year in Miami, Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas.
Each race’s domestic television audience in 2021 garnered around a million viewers on average, according to ESPN, the race broadcaster, and that number increased by 28% in 2023.
With the release of “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” on Netflix in 2019, Horner has become well-known throughout the world. The documentary series shows him competing against other team captains as it goes through its several seasons.