Christian Horner is under investigation after a female employee at Red Bull Racing made allegations against him of inappropriate behavior. The parent company in Austria initiated the investigation through an external barrister on Monday, the same day the allegations were made public. Horner was supposed to undergo a lengthy interrogation session today, February 9th in central London, with the hopes that the investigation would conclude. However, according to a recent report, the investigation may go on for a long time.

When the story of the allegation, what we now know is of controlling and coercive behavior, was published by the Dutch morning newspaper, De Telegraaf, Red Bull Racing promptly denied any prior knowledge of said allegations. Even Christian Horner himself swiftly denied the claims. However, the parent company was quick to launch an investigation stating that they were taking the matter seriously. Many believed that this was a sign of the internal power struggle within the Red Bull camp. But with the team set to launch its 2024 challenger as planned on February 15th, we believed that the matter would get cleared as swiftly as possible.

The investigation against Christian Horner is unlikely to be resolved swiftly

Considering the gravity of the claims against Christian Horner, it is now being said that the hearing on Friday was just a small part of what is likely to be a lengthy process. The investigation is likely to stretch beyond the launch event of their 2024 car, possibly even a few weeks into the start of the season. The findings of the investigation will then be presented to the Red Bull board in Austria, which will then decide the future of Christian Horner based on the findings.

Sky Sports F1 released a clip on X recently where Craig Slater gave an update on the ongoing investigation against Christian Horner. This is the first interview Horner has had since news broke the allegations on Monday and he is not expecting a conclusion or solution to the matter by the end of the day. He suggests that this could be a lengthy process, indicating that it won’t be resolved quickly.

Craig Slater said, “Christian Horner has been in this interview situation since about 10 o’clock this morning. I expect it to come to an end at about 6 pm, so in about 40 minutes or so from now. This is the first interview he’s had since we learned about this case. A female employee and colleague at Red Bull Racing has accused Horner of controlling and coercive behavior. I don’t expect an outcome or resolution by the end of today. I have been led to understand that this could be a long process.”

If Red Bull can’t manage to close the investigation before the start of pre-season testing, will Christian Horner continue to lead the team as usual?

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Red Bull might already have Horner’s replacement in place

With no immediate ending to the investigation in sight, Red Bull might have to switch gears and put a new face as the team principal in the meantime. And it looks like they already have a replacement in mind.

Serving as Red Bull’s sporting director since 2006, Jonathan Wheatley is the prime candidate for replacing Christian Horner till the time the investigation can be concluded. While initial speculations linked Helmut Marko to take up the duties, he refused to have any sort of interest in being the team principal.

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Will the ongoing process impact Red Bull’s performance and results in the 2024 season? What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments down below.