DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Pink Bull future engine provider Ford Motor Co. mentioned Friday it’s awaiting the outcomes of an investigation into alleged inappropriate habits by crew principal Christian Horner, however a high government careworn that Ford holds its firm and companions to very excessive ethical requirements.
Ford is slated to turn out to be Pink Bull’s engine provider in 2026 and is the primary of Pink Bull’s current companions to touch upon the controversy surrounding Horner. The crew chief has remained defiant in his denial of claims of misconduct made to father or mother firm Pink Bull, which two weeks in the past introduced it had launched an impartial investigation into the claims.
Mark Rushbrook, international head of Ford Efficiency Motorsport, mentioned Friday at Daytona Worldwide Speedway that Ford is awaiting the result of the investigation into Horner.
“As a family company, and a company that holds itself to very high standards of behavior and integrity, we do expect the same from our partners,” Rushbrook mentioned. “It seems to us, and what we have been instructed, was that Pink Bull is taking the state of affairs very critically. And naturally, they’re anxious about their model, as effectively.
“And that’s why they’ve got an independent investigation and until we see what truth comes out of that, it’s too early for us to comment on it all.”
Horner at some point earlier insisted it was “business as normal” as he took heart stage on the launch of the crew’s automobile for the upcoming System 1 season.
“Obviously, there’s a process that’s ongoing at the moment. Some allegations have been made which I fully deny and I comply, obviously, with that process and will continue to do so,” Horner mentioned. “I feel it’s been very clear and the place of Pink Bull has been that it’s enterprise as regular. Clearly there’s a job to do and I deny absolutely the accusations which have been made. My position clearly continues.”
What Horner has been accused of doing by a Pink Bull worker has not been made clear. The investigation was launched by father or mother firm Pink Bull Vitality out of Austria and initially appeared to contain Horner’s “aggressive management style.”
However within the two weeks since, the F1 trade has been rife with gossip, hypothesis and, as of Friday, information studies indicating Horner’s supposed transgressions contain allegations of sexual misconduct. And, with a lot of the unsubstantiated claims being made to Dutch media shops, there’s loud chatter that each three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen and his father, Jos, are behind the leaks.
Max Verstappen, who races underneath the Dutch flag, on the launch on Thursday mentioned his relationship with Horner stays “very good” forward of the brand new season.
“We’ve seen each other quite a few times. We’ve achieved a lot of things together so that doesn’t change suddenly,” he mentioned. “My contact with Christian has been the same as on the first day. It’s been like normal.”
The 50-year-old Horner has been Pink Bull’s crew principal because it entered F1 as a full constructor in 2005. He has guided the crew to 6 constructors’ championships and 7 drivers’ championships throughout his time on the high. Verstappen has received the drivers’ title in every of the final three seasons. The crew received all however one of many 22 races final yr.
Horner is married since 2015 to Geri Halliwell, higher referred to as Ginger Spice of the feminine pop group The Spice Women.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing