Red Bull as a brand has been under the spotlight since allegations of inappropriate behavior against Christian Horner were made public by a Dutch newspaper. According to the initial report by De Telegraaf, an employee from the team, which we now know to be a female, has accused Horner of controlling and coercive behavior. Red Bull GmbH immediately launched an internal investigation against Horner stating that they take such allegations very seriously. However, according to Leo Turrini, this episode will turn out badly for Red Bull regardless of how the investigation is resolved.

While Red Bull GmbH said in its initial statement that they want to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, it has already been 2 weeks and there’s no sign of the investigation concluding anytime soon. All through this chaos, Christian Horner remains functional in his role as team principal of Red Bull Racing and the energy drink giant will only take steps against him if he’s found guilty.

The RB20 presentation became more about Christian Horner than the car itself

Red Bull revealed their 2024 challenger, the RB20 on Thursday last week. Although the car did raise some eyebrows for being quite different from its predecessor, the focus of the media round following the launch was mostly on Christian Horner despite the journalists being told specifically that questions regarding the investigation would not be entertained by the team. However, the journalists found creative ways to indirectly probe Horner about the matter.

And that’s something that caught the attention of Turrini. He wrote as reported by QN, “The giant question mark that accompanies the Drinks is called Chris Horner. I say this ignoring the prurient details of a story that others will clarify. But, as far as I’m concerned, it is reasonable to assume that this bad story will not remain without consequences. This was also seen at the presentation: despite all the efforts, almost only the Horner case was talked about and not the car.”

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He also believes that the rumors of behind-the-scenes power struggle within Red Bull might also be true. “From afar, I also imagine there is a power struggle going on behind the scenes, under the Red Bull roof. And usually, episodes like this always leave waste,” he added.

F1 Rumor: Christian Horner’s Investigation Is “A Matter of Abuse of Power,” Claims Insider

Despite trying to avoid talking about the investigation as much as he can, Horner did manage to give his opinion on the stories that are circling in the F1 community.

Horner is fully cooperating with the investigation and hopes it will be resolved at the earliest

Sky Sports F1 caught up with Horner during the media round and spoke to him about the ongoing investigation. When asked if he has given any thought to stepping aside from his role, even temporarily as the matter is investigated, Horner said, “No, it’s business as usual, There obviously is a process. 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.”

Speaking about the spotlight that the investigation has put on the team, Horner added, “Of course, 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.” In his response about the supposed power struggle within the Red Bull camp, Horner said, “Look, we’re one team, we’re one group. The support from the shareholders has been phenomenal, and without that support, we wouldn’t be here. So, no, that’s not correct.“

When asked if the rumors about the souring relationship with the Verstappens are true, Horner added, “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 has been very supportive and yeah, I am looking forward to the season ahead with him.“ Finally, he spoke about when the investigation might be concluded, “Obviously there’s a process that has to be respected, and hopefully it will be in the not-too-distant future.”

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How do you think Red Bull will be impacted by this whole situation surrounding Christian Horner? Share your insights in the comments down below.