Christian Horner discusses the Red Bull drivers’ response to the probe and their likelihood of quitting.
Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner has spoken out after allegations of inappropriate behavior were made against him and thanked Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and other senior staff for their support.
Christian Horner said Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez behaved “incredibly” after his female colleague claimed he behaved inappropriately towards him. Horner strongly denies the allegations, but is currently the subject of an investigation by parent company Red Bull.
The 50-year-old met with external investigators last week to try to make his case, but in the meantime he was allowed to continue working as CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing. He attended Red Bull’s new car launch event ahead of the 2024 season, where he spoke about the ongoing investigation and thanked Verstappen, Perez and other key figures in the team for their support.
“I am focused on the season ahead,” he emphasized. “It was great to see the car take to the track for the first time at Silverstone. It was great to see the 20th version of the Red Bull car today. Of course, the process was going on in the background, but it had its day. Before today’s work. We continue our work primarily focused on preparing for the upcoming season.
“The support from within the business, partners and industry has been overwhelming. That’s right. Yes… as you know, the process is ongoing. There have been several claims that I completely deny. , and I am definitely following the process and will continue to do this until it is completed.”
And when asked specifically whether he had the support of Verstappen and Perez, Horner responded: “It’s the whole team. Pilot, team, partner. The whole team was really great. See, we are one team.
The shareholder support I received was fantastic. “I think there has been support from shareholders since the death of Dietrich Mateschitz. Formula 1, Red Bull powertrains, cutting-edge technology… You can see again our commitment to the racing cars we produce together with Adrian Newey. Yeah, I think we’re a team and that support has been very evident.”
Horner also said he remains committed to Red Bull despite the current situation. “No, not at all.” When asked if the last few weeks have made him think about his future with the team, he responded:
“Absolutely not. “I am fully committed to this team, I built this team, I convinced people to come here and work here.” I love working with teams and people. A team’s greatest asset is its people, and this remains true. “My commitment to this team has always been absolute.
I hope all of you who know me have seen it through the good times and the bad. “The commitment to this team has always been there and I have personally invested a lot in it, so this team is very personal.”
