A female employee has made allegations against Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull, regarding his inappropriate conduct. Currently, an investigation is underway, and a hearing is scheduled for Friday. Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s chief technical officer, has apparently made the choice to stay with the team, regardless of the uncertain situation revolving around team principal Christian Horner.
A female employee has raised allegations of misconduct against Horner, leading to Red Bull initiating an investigation into the matter.
On Friday, a meeting has been scheduled where the 50-year-old will be interviewed by an independent investigator to address the accusations.
The investigator will then present their findings and recommendations to Red Bull next week, with the team hoping they can resolve the matter ahead of their season launch event which is scheduled to take place on February 15. Horner denies the allegations.
There have been reports claiming that Horner and Newey, who have worked closely together at Red Bull for almost 20 years, have a clause in their contracts that means if one of them leaves them then the other can follow suit.
There is speculation that Newey might leave if Horner is removed due to the allegations. Nonetheless, as reported by German outlet F1 insider, Newey has assured Red Bull of his loyalty, even if Horner leaves.
Newey has expressed his desire to join Ferrari, who recently revealed that Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, will be joining their team in the upcoming year.
Nonetheless, the 65-year-old mentioned last year that it was improbable for him to depart from Red Bull in the near future.
“I’ve had discussions with Ferrari in the past. I’ve been very tempted because it’s such a legendary brand,” he told Sky Italy. “The time that was most tempting would have been around 1993 and 1997 when I moved from Williams to McLaren.
“That was a very tough choice. At the time, my kids were young and I didn’t know how they would settle in an Italian school. If I was to move to a team that was based in Italy, I would have to move to Italy with the family.
“Currently working at Red Bull, I have been a part of the company almost from the beginning. Transitioning to new teams always requires a substantial amount of effort to reintegrate and familiarize oneself with the working methods. Frankly, if I were two decades younger, perhaps I would have found it easier.
According to reports, Newey supposedly agreed to a fresh deal with Red Bull in the previous season. Although a representative of the team refused to comment on contracts, they confirmed that “Adrian will remain with us for an extended period.”