Pink Bull staff principal Christian Horner has spoken publicly for the primary time since being positioned underneath investigation by the System 1 staff’s guardian firm following an accusation of inappropriate behaviour.
Horner attended the launch of Pink Bull’s new automobile for the 2024 season in an occasion at their Milton Keynes base on Thursday.
The 50-year-old publicly denied the allegations for the primary time. He has beforehand denied the accusations “entirely”.
Horner, who has been on the helm of Pink Bull’s F1 staff since its launch in 2005, is the topic of an ongoing investigation by the System 1 staff’s Austrian guardian firm Pink Bull GmbH following allegations of inappropriate behaviour being made towards him by a colleague.
Horner was interviewed on Friday in London by the exterior specialist barrister finishing up the investigation. No decision on the matter was reached throughout that first interview.
Horner reiterates denial and says he’s ‘working with the method’
In an interview with Sky Sports activities Information, Horner was requested if had thought-about briefly stepping except for his function at Pink Bull Racing – the place he holds the twin place of staff principal and CEO – through the course of the investigation into the allegations made towards him.
“No. It’s business as usual,” he mentioned.
“There obviously is a process.
“Clearly, I absolutely deny any accusations which were made towards me however after all I will work with that course of, which I hope is concluded within the close to future.”
Horner’s appearance at the team’s launch of their 20th F1 car was his first at a public event since the investigation was confirmed by Red Bull last week.
Asked in a separate media session why he had opted to still attend the launch amid spotlight on him, Horner replied: “I’ve denied the allegations. For me it is enterprise as regular.
“I’m confident in that. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”
He mentioned he had been working day by day on the manufacturing unit since coming back from the Christmas break on January 8 and that he can be in Bahrain for the primary race of the brand new season on March 2.
The Pink Bull staff boss additionally mentioned that he had been “overwhelmed” by the assist he had been given by these “within the business, of our partners and within the industry”.
On the investigation, Horner mentioned that “I can’t comment on what that process consists” and added: “I’m confident obviously in the process and working with the process and deny absolutely any allegations being made. I just continue to obviously work within that process until it’s concluded.”
Horner mentioned he remained “fully committed to this team” which he has led for 19 years.
“I have built this team, I’ve convinced people to come here and work here, I enjoy working with the team and with the people,” he mentioned.
“The biggest asset of this team is the people and that continues to be the case.”
Horner denies claims of rifts with Verstappens, Pink Bull hierarchy
Talking to Sky Sports activities Information, Horner additionally denied media stories which have surfaced in latest days claiming the existence of rigidity between key figures on the world championship-winning staff.
Requested if there was any friction between himself and Max and Jos Verstappen, Horner mentioned: “No not at all. I was with Jos and Max at Silverstone a couple of days ago.
“Max could be very targeted on his job. He is been very supportive and I am wanting ahead to the season forward with him.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s triple world champion driver, said his relationship with his team boss was “like regular”.
“It is vitally good,” said Verstappen in a separate media session at the launch.
“We’ve seen one another fairly a few instances, I have been on the simulator, he was additionally there after we had been filming. We’ve achieved loads of issues collectively so that does not change abruptly.”
Meanwhile, on his relationship with Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Horner said: “There’s at all times going to be hypothesis however we’re collectively as one staff, that is the way in which we have at all times been and that is the way in which we proceed to be.”
And with the investigation coming against the backdrop of reports of an alleged ‘power struggle’ between the Red Bull team in Milton Keynes and the board at the parent company in Austria following the death of company co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022, Horner insisted: “We’re one staff, we’re one group.
“The support from the shareholders has been phenomenal and without that support we wouldn’t be here. So no, that’s not correct.”
Evaluation of Horner’s attendance at Pink Bull launch
After attending Pink Bull’s automobile unveiling occasion and conducting Sky Sports activities Information’ interview with Christian Horner, F1 reporter Craig Slater gave his evaluation on the scenario:
“You would have got good odds early last week that Christian Horner would not have had anything to do with this launch because senior figures within Formula 1 were briefing me that they expected his resignation within a matter of days.
“He’s being investigated for the time being for allegations of inappropriate behaviour. We’re speaking about alleged controlling and coercive behaviour with a feminine member of employees. He was interviewed in regards to the matter final Friday.
“We don’t get of course to delve into the detail of what he has been accused of because that is under investigation at the moment, but we did speak about why he has continued in his role, why he maintains his innocence in all of this and also what is to some people significant background to this. That is an alleged power struggle going on at Red Bull between Horner and the board of the company based in Austria and also a perceived rift between Horner and the Verstappens, world champion Max and his father Jos.
“Horner regarded exhausted on the launch, with out query. Bear in mind, that is somebody who is generally very quick-witted and really on the entrance foot in any type of verbal exchanges. He sounded very subdued. I feel partly that’s deliberate, he is aware of this can be a severe matter.
“Of course, we have to remember that we are only hearing chiefly his side of the story. There is another party in all of this, his sole accuser, a female member of Red Bull staff, but for obvious reasons we are not hearing her side of the story.
“Horner mentioned off digicam that his spouse Geri, the previous Spice Lady, had been an excellent assist.
“He is determined to to see this through. It impressed a lot of people that he was there, he went through the entirety of the launch, and he has been carrying out his job as normal. He is determined to press ahead. He also said off camera that if he wasn’t convinced of his innocence he wouldn’t be there today.”