SUMMARY
- Christian Horner under heat as Red Bull Racing launches internal investigation on the team boss.
- This is the first time since Helmut Marko in 2023 that a Red Bull personnel stole the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
We’re hardly two months into 2025, and the year has already been relentless for Formula 1. It all started with Charles Leclerc striking a massive contract extension with Ferrari, rumored to be active until the end of 2029, followed by Lewis Hamilton, who unexpectedly betrayed his title-winning team, Mercedes, for a last dance at Ferrari. Now, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has joined the list for all the wrong reasons.
The prominent Red Bull Racing boss is under investigation for inappropriate behavior toward a Red Bull employee. While the aforementioned sentence doesn’t sound as serious, the intervention of Red Bull’s big guns and an external barrister suggests otherwise. Considering the early reactions from the motorsport community, the allegations are allegedly far more serious than Helmut Marko’s shenanigans from last year.
The Austrian hurled racial slurs at his own team member, Sergio Perez before getting insanely criticized on social media. Marko did eventually issue a public apology to Perez, which the Mexican duly acknowledged while also clarifying that he wasn’t offended by Marko’s slang. But, the situation here is seemingly far more serious, and if things go haywire, one might even sense a harsh punishment for Horner.
What did Red Bull say about Horner’s latest antics?
According to reports, Horner was reportedly accused of behaving inappropriately toward one of his own employees, which could mean anything from a verbal spat to an assault. But, so far, Red Bull has kept its doors firmly shut from the media and has already issued a public statement on the matter.
Here’s what the Red Bull F1 spokesperson had to say about the shocking internal investigation. “After the company was informed of certain recent allegations, an independent investigation has been launched. This process, which is already underway, is carried out by an external, specialized lawyer.
⚠️ | Christian Horner is under internal investigation of cross-border behaviours towards a Red Bull employee, according to @telegraaf
Here is the Red Bull spokesperson’s statement that spoke to De Telegraaf:
“After the company was informed of certain recent allegations, an… pic.twitter.com/zwPYn1dOLl
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) February 5, 2024
“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practical as possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time,” they said. This is the first time Horner has been accused of something quite serious, and of course, according to sources, Horner has already denied it.
But, the drama is hardly over! Therefore, let’s wait and watch how this shocking Red Bull F1 saga unfolds in the coming hours. Will Horner escape this investigation unscathed or has he ruined his own Formula 1 career with a presumably unlawful act against his own team member?