Christian Horner ‘to be cleared of inappropriate behaviour allegations’

Christian Horner has been cleared by Red Bull after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour, according to reports. The 50-year-old, who has spearheaded the drinks company’s F1 operation since 2005, will be allowed to continue his role as team principal ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.

The Times claim that a decision has been made and Red Bull are due to release a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

Red Bull’s Austrian HQ recruited an independent barrister to lead the investigation after allegations of inappropriate and controlling behaviour were brought against Horner by a female employee.

Horner, who strenuously denied the allegations from the start, was reportedly grilled for up to eight hours at an undisclosed location earlier this month. He then continued his Red Bull duties by attending the RB20 launch and overseeing three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

The barrister concluded his investigation at the end of last week, handing a report of over 100 pages to the board of Red Bull GmbH, who consulted over Horner’s fate.

F1 bosses, Verstappen and future engine partner Ford were among those to try and hurry the investigation by calling for a resolution as soon as possible.

Details of the allegations against Horner, who raced competitively during the 1990s before turning his hand to team management, have been kept to a minimum due to matters of confidentiality.