Christian Horner ‘not expected to survive’ Red Bull probe into ‘inappropriate behaviour’, say F1 insiders

RED Bull chief Christian Horner is not “expected to survive” in his role following allegations of “inappropriate and controlling behaviour”, F1 insiders claim.

Horner, 50, fought to save his career in an eight-hour D-Day grilling on Friday over complaints made by a female colleague – as sources revealed he would not resign.

Following the fallout of the investigation, insiders do not “expect him to survive in his role” at Red Bull, BBC Sport reports.

It raises the question of who would take over the helm of the all-conquering racing team of world champion Max Verstappen.

But an F1 source told The Sun that “Christian has not been sacked or asked to resign and he is not going to resign”.

They also revealed the investigation is nowhere near it’s end – with it potentially dragging into the new F1 season.

The insider said: “This is not a trial and we are not going to have an answer and an outcome by the end of the day.

“This is not something that is going to be rectified that quickly.

“People are expecting this to be over before the start of the F1 season, but that just isn’t going to happen.”

The Red Bull Racing boss, who has led the Austrian team since its formation in 2005, was quizzed by an independent barrister in a private location late into the afternoon on Friday.

Horner has reportedly referred to the allegations as “nuts” and said publicly: “I completely deny these claims.”

He was smiling as he was pictured being whisked to the crunch meeting yesterday morning.

F1 was rocked on Monday by the news that the sport’s longest-standing team principal had been placed under investigation by Red Bull’s Austria-based parent company.

It has allegedly compiled a “dossier of incriminating material” regarding “inappropriate and controlling behaviour” towards one female staffer, The Telegraph reported.

The probe threatens to overshadow the start of the new F1 season — with the first practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix taking place on February 29.

His Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell, 51, is understood to be standing by her husband, who she married in 2015.

She has told pals: “Christian has done nothing wrong.”

Horner is said to have privately vowed to his friends he will “clear his name and come through this,” a source told the Daily Mail earlier this week.

“She will stand by him and be at his side just as much as she always has been. She never misses a race and that will not change.”

However, the scandal engulfing her husband has blown a “Grand Canyon-sized crack” right in the middle of her “super-perfect, super-posh life,” another source claimed.

Red Bull has won seven Formula One world drivers’ championships and six world ­constructors’ titles under Horner’s leadership.

Horner was awarded a CBE for services to motor sport in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List.

Ahead of the probe into Horner’s conduct, there were reports of an unrelated internal power struggle waging within Red Bull.

Rumours of issues between the team’s leadership have swirled since the death of billionaire co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022 and the tea drafted a new board of directors.

Former RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff was appointed chief executive.

Despite Red Bull enjoying its most successful season in F1 history in 2023, there was speculation of a rift between Horner and Helmut Marko – Red Bull GmBH’s motorsport advisor.

Rumours even went as far as to suggest Horner was determined to get rid of Marko, 80, from the team.

Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk