09 February 2024 , 15:51
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Doubt has been cast on suggestions the investigation into an allegation made against Christian Horner may be symptomatic of a power struggle behind the scenes at Red Bull.
Horner, team principal at the energy drinks giant's main Formula 1 team, has been accused by a female colleague of inappropriate behaviour. The 50-year-old, who is married to Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, has strongly denied the allegation.
On Friday, Horner met with the external investigator appointed by the Red Bull parent company to assess the claims against him. It is understood a decision on his future with the team is not likely until next week at the earliest.
Red Bull Racing staff have largely been left in the dark on the matter. They received little-to-no warning of the investigation, which was announced by the parent company on Monday in a statement to selected European news outlets - while Horner was in a meeting of the F1 Commission in London.
The lack of communication between Austria-based parent company Red Bull GmbH and the F1 race team has led to heightened speculation over a potential power struggle. It is true that there is a different view from Salzburg these days, since co-founder and owner Dietrich Mateschitz died in October 2022.
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But Sky Sports News' F1 correspondent Craig Slater has cooled speculation that the investigation into Horner might be a result of a desire for the parent company to seize control of the race team. He said: "The guidance I've had from Milton Keynes is that it's not a battle between Salzburg and Milton Keynes for control of this racing team.
"Dietrich Mateschitz... passed away a few months ago and since then Oliver Mintzlaff, the former RB Leipzig executive, has been running the general sporting operation. But it has been explained to me like this, it would be old fashioned that an investigation like this would be governed by a power struggle going on elsewhere.
The investigation into Christian Horner has cast a dark shadow over Red Bull's preparations for their 2024 title defence (PA)"You might read stories about Bernie Ecclestone potentially intervening on his friend Christian Horner's behalf with the Thai majority owners of the Red Bull drinks firm - that's a kind of old fashioned view of the way F1 power politics used to unfold."
Horner's meeting with the investigator was due to take place at the team's Milton Keynes base, but has been moved to an unspecified location in London. It is the long-serving team boss' first real chance to give his side of the story and to fight for his future - something he very much intends to do.
If feels unlikely he will be in attendance at the team's 2024 season launch event next Thursday. Red Bull hope to have the matter closed before then, but there is no guarantee that it will be. A thorough process is likely to be prioritised over the desire for a swift resolution, meaning the case could further disrupt the defending champions' plans.
Pre-season testing begins in Bahrain on Wednesday, February 21. And the first race of the season, as the same Sakhir International Circuit, is scheduled for Saturday, March 2.