Explained: Red Bull team principal Christian Horner cleared in mysterious probe, but fate in F1 uncertain

The 50-year-old Briton is the longest-serving team principal in the paddock, and both the currently dominant Red Bull team and its lead driver Max Verstappen have undoubtedly been cast in his image.

Across sports, powerful administrators have faced severe consequences when serious allegations of this kind have been made. However, on Wednesday, Horner was cleared by an independent investigation held by the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmBH based in Austria, and will join up with the team in Bahrain for the season-opening weekend.

His fate in F1, though, remains uncertain.

What are the allegations against Christian Horner?

While the matter may be settled internally, Horner’s colleagues in the paddock, the sport’s stakeholders, and its fans remain in the dark.

Outside of the announcement of the inquiry on February 5, and the announcement of its conclusion on Wednesday, there has been no official communication from the Austria-based conglomerate about the nature of the allegations, Horner’s defence, and the process of the internal inquiry.

The process reportedly took eight weeks, and involved hours-long interviews between Horner, who defiantly maintains his innocence, and the assigned external barrister in the UK.

The lack of transparency sent rumour-mills into a frenzy, detrimental to F1, Red Bull, and Horner’s reputation. The fact that many of the rumours originated in the Dutch media also points to a rift between Horner and Verstappen, as well as the latter’s father Jos, which Horner has repeatedly denied.

While initial reports claimed the allegations pertained to Horner’s aggressive management style and “controlling behaviour,” according to The Guardian, Dutch newspaper De Telgraaf claimed that the team principal is accused of sexual misconduct, and even offered to settle the matter for a figure as high as 650,000 pounds.

What have the stakeholders said?

The entire episode has cast a shadow over the upcoming season and is not a good look for any of the teams, F1, or its owner Liberty Media, all of whom have been on the lookout recently for American investment and sponsorship.

Neither F1 nor motorsport’s governing-body FIA have initiated their own inquiries – although they made boilerplate statements insisting on a quick resolution. Red Bull’s sponsors have also remained tight-lipped, although Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford, who will become Red Bull’s engine supplier from 2026, sent a letter to the team about “the unresolved allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Red Bull Racing leadership”, according to AP.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, a rival to Horner, called for transparency on “an issue for all of F1”, while Mercedes driver Hamilton said that the issue is more important than just the decision of the inquiry. “We always have to do more to try to make the sport and the environment people work in feel safe and inclusive,” he said at Wednesday’s pre-race press conference.

Verstappen, whose prodigal talent had been shaped by Horner, guiding him from being a temperamental, aggressive challenger to the composed leader of the pack he is today, did not go all out to back Horner either. “Well, I’m trusting the process, that’s what’s happening right now,” he said in Wednesday’s press conference.

What next for Red Bull?

Horner, in tandem with the team’s technical director Adrian Newey, have aced the latest technical regulations of F1 to create an untouchable vehicle. Red Bull won 21 of the 22 races last year, and Verstappen alone won 19, ploughing his way to a third consecutive driver’s world title.

Instead of incremental changes, the team went for a bolder design for this year’s car, the RB20, which will hope to address their one perceived weakness, slow-speed corners on narrower circuits. In pre-season testing, Verstappen’s lap times were by far the quickest, suggesting that the team remains formidable as ever as he kicks off the new season in pole position for a fourth title.

All of that could change if Horner departed the team he has led and shaped since its inclusion in Formula One in 2005. He remains on shaky ground despite being cleared internally, and Red Bull faces an uncertain future until the issue is resolved.

A resolution, however, may not be possible if the issue itself is never revealed.