F1 wants the Christian Horner investigation resolved ASAP

With pre-season testing set to begin in Bahrain on Wednesday, F1 has called on Red Bull to conclude its investigation into team principal Christian Horner as soon as possible.

In a statement released over the weekend, F1 said: “We hope that the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity after a fair and thorough process.

“We have noted Red Bull has instigated an independent investigation into internal allegations at Red Bull Racing. We will not comment further at this time.”

Two weeks ago it was announced that Horner was being investigated by the racing team’s parent company after a complaint was made against him by a female colleague.

The 50-year-old is reportedly facing claims of controlling and inappropriate behaviour, although the exact nature of the allegations have not been made public. Horner has denied any wrongdoing.

Red Bull said it was taking the accusations “extremely seriously” and a specialist lawyer - who has since interviewed Horner in London - was hired to write a report into the matter.

However, it’s not clear when this will be finished and there are concerns the issue could drag on into the new season.

This became clear when Horner attended the launch of Red Bull’s new car at Milton Keynes last week, when many had expected the event to be postponed or for Horner to step aside from his role pending the outcome of the investigation.

Meanwhile Mark Rushbrook, the global head of Ford Performance Motorsport, which is teaming up with Red Bull in F1 from 2026 onwards, has been quoted saying the company expects “very high standards of behaviour” from its partners.