Horner denied allegations of controlling and inappropriate behavior made by a female staff member after news of the investigation of his conduct broke Feb. 5. The matter loomed over preseason testing last week, and pressure was mounting on Red Bull to resolve the situation before Saturday’s race in Bahrain.
The issue frustrated Ford CEO Jim Farley, who wrote a letter to the team Friday expressing his displeasure with “the unresolved allegations of inappropriate behavior by Red Bull Racing leadership.” The American manufacturer is set to become Red Bull’s engine supplier in 2026. In his letter, Farley said Ford was increasingly frustrated by the length of and the lack of transparency around the investigation.
“As we have indicated previously, without satisfactory response, Ford’s values are non-negotiable,” Farley wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the Associated Press. “It is imperative that our racing partners share and demonstrate a genuine commitment to those same values. My team and I are available at any time to discuss this matter. We remain insistent on, and hopeful, for a resolution we can all stand behind.”
Horner, 50, has been Red Bull’s team principal since 2005, overseeing its recent role as the most dominant force in Formula One. Under Horner’s leadership, Red Bull has won six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles. It has won back-to-back constructors’ titles, and Max Verstappen has taken the past three drivers’ championships. Red Bull enters this season on the heels of a historic 2023, during which the team won 21 of 22 races. Verstappen won 19 of them.
In the days before Wednesday’s announcement, drivers were asked about the issue, with RB Formula One Team driver Daniel Ricciardo telling reporters he sympathizes with Horner, adding: “He’s always been great with me. So I do hope that there is a fair outcome and resolution soon, hopefully before this weekend, so it’s not really a distraction for him or obviously anyone in the team.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the investigation as “an issue for all of Formula One.” He also called for transparency.
When asked earlier this month about the matter, Verstappen told reporters he’s “trusting the process.”
“It doesn’t [affect me]. I’m very focused on the performance of the car [and] myself, and hopefully it will be resolved very soon,” he said. “I’m trusting the process — that’s what’s happening right now. That’s the thing that I mention with it. But besides that, when you talk about performance, it’s very important that everyone sticks together.”
