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      Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner investigated by F1 team over ‘serious allegations’ of ‘inappropriate behaviour’

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      RED Bull Racing has launched an investigation into team boss Christian Horner over allegations of “inappropriate behaviour”.The Formula One racing team are looking into claims made against Horner, 50, by an employee of the company.
      Red Bull boss Christian Horner is under investigation over allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’Credit: AFP
      Horner – who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell – has denied the allegationsCredit: Getty
      The couple at the Royal Artillery at Larkhill in Wiltshire on January 27Credit: Splash
      The Red Bull chief pictured with world champion Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
      Horner and wife Geri pose with several famous musicians at his 50th birthday bash
      According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Horner – who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell – has been accused of “inappropriate behaviour”.
      In response to the allegations, Horner said: “I completely deny these claims.”
      Red Bull, the team of world champion Max Verstappen, said it “takes these matters extremely seriously”.
      A spokesperson said: “After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.
      Read more on Formula One
      “This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.
      “The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible.
      “It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
      Horner – who has an estimated salary of £8million at Red Bull – has been preparing for the 2024 season as Red Bull looks to defend their championship titles. 
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      He described the allegations as “nuts” in a message to Mail Online.
      His defenders reportedly claimed the accusations are part of a plot to oust him within the team in an internal power struggle.
      Last season, the team won 21 of the 22 races as Verstappen claimed the drivers’ title.
      Horner has led Milton Keynes-based Red Bull since their arrival on the grid in 2005 – and has overseen a period of huge success for the team.
      Red Bull has won seven drivers’ championships and six constructors championships under the team boss.
      Spice Girl Geri Horner posts loved-up message to husband Christian as Red Bull F1 boss turns 50
      Horner married Geri, 51, in 2015 and they have one child together, Montague, seven.
      He is also stepdad to Geri’s daughter Bluebell Madonna, 17, and has another daughter, Olivia, 10, from a previous relationship with ex-partner Beverley Allen.
      In December, Ginger Spice threw a star-studded 50th birthday bash for the multi-millionaire Red Bull chief.
      Rock n’ Roll legends Ronnie Wood and Sir Rod Stewart were invited along with wives Sally Wood and Penny Lancaster.
      Take That frontman Gary Barlow and R&B singer Jade Jones were also pictured in snaps posing either side of Horner.
      There was also F1 royalty in attendance with Bernie Ecclestone joined by his wife Fabiana Flosi at the event.
      Away from the fast lane of Red Bull, Horner shares two stunning country homes with Geri in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire and their brood.
      The former property boasts its very own duck pond, which they use for boating.
      For Horner, living on a farm offers the ideal existence away from the stresses of motorsport.
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      Back in 2019, he told Luxury London the sprawling country abode was the “perfect home to relax in.”
      And it’s the property in Oxfordshire that gets the most love from Geri, 50, on Instagram, who regularly shares candid snaps of her family life.
      A look at Christian Horner’s life and career CHRISTIAN Horner is among the most well-known names in Formula One having helped build Red Bull into one of the biggest teams in the sport.
      1973 – Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
      1991 – Wins a Formula Renault scholarship after impressing in karting races
      1993-1997 – Competed in a host of competitions including British Formula Three, British Formula Two, and Formula 3000
      1997 – Founded and developed the F3000 team Arden
      1999 – Retired from driving and continued developing the Arden team
      2005 – Appointed head of Red Bull team, becoming the youngest ever team principal at that time
      2009 – Wins his first races as team principal with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber
      2010 – Wins the Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship with Vettel – the first of four doubles in a row
      2013 – Has a daughter with ex-wife Beverly Allen shortly before the couple split
      2014 – Gets engaged to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell
      2015 – Marries Halliwell in Woburn, Bedfordshire
      2017 – Horner and Halliwell welcome their son
      2021 – Wins another Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen, pipping Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season
      2022-23 – Red Bull win the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship two years in a row

      Horner tied with knot with wife Geri in 2015 and have one child together
      The couple pictured at the Larkhill Royal Artillary Point to Point on January 27Credit: Splash
      Geri Halliwell threw a surprise 50th birthday bash for Christian Horner in DecemberCredit: Instagram
      Horner lives a life of luxury in the country with his familyCredit: Instagram
      Horner poses on the grounds of their Oxfordshire farmhouse with son MontagueCredit: Instagram
      The Horners show off their horses and have their own stableCredit: Instagram More

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      Max Verstappen’s Red Bull sign ‘groundbreaking’ deal that will bring ‘new look’ team to F1 grid in 2024

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      RED BULL RACING’s B-team has been renamed as Visa Cash App RB for the new F1 season.The Italy-based team were formerly known as AlphaTauri, the soft drink’s clothing range, and before that Toro Rosso – Italian for ‘Red Bull’.
      AlphaTauri has been renamed to Visa Cash App RBCredit: Reuters
      Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will stay with the team for 2024Credit: Getty
      The move will see the Visa logo on the Red Bull and Visa Cash App RB cars for the new season however, fans are critical of the name change.
      Peter Bayer, Chief Executive Officer of the newly named Visa Cash App RB team said: “It’s fantastic to reveal the new identity and to welcome new partners as we embark on the next phase of the team’s F1 story.
      “Faenza is entering a new era of racing, staying true to our roots as a hothouse for talent but now with an even greater focus on competing for the biggest prizes in F1.
      “We have a bold vision for the team lead by myself and team principal, Laurent Mekies and having future-focused partners such as Visa and Cash App alongside us on that journey is hugely exciting.”
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      Visa Cash App RB Drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will unveil the new car livery during a special event in Las Vegas on February 8th ahead of the new season, which kicks off in Bahrain on February 29th.
      However, the rebranding has drawn criticism, with F1 website The Race calling “Visa CashApp RB the worst team name in F1 history and would be an embarrassment to Red Bull and F1 as a whole” for its lack of imagination.
      McLaren chief executive Zak Brown called for a ban on common ownership in Formula One last month.
      Although he did not directly mention Red Bull and AlphaTauri, they are the only two teams in F1 with shared owners.
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      🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year 🏁 
      In an open letter, Brown argued that “there is an opportunity to improve some of the other processes in Formula 1 to strengthen the values of fairness and competition.”
      F1 icon Damon has backed the McLaren chief’s point, saying he “agrees 100 percent”. More

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      Lando Norris set for huge McLaren pay rise on £13million F1 salary as rivals Mercedes and Red Bull circle British driver

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      McLAREN want to tie up Lando Norris to another long-term contract to fend off interest from Mercedes and Red Bull.In the second half of last season, Norris was the second-highest points scorer behind champion Max Verstappen.
      Lando Norris could see his salary rise by £7m per yearCredit: Getty
      McLaren CEO Zak Brown has explained how he wants to ensure Norris remains with his teamCredit: Getty
      The Brit, 24, is under contract until the end of 2025 but that has not put off McLaren’s rivals from checking on the highly-rated racer’s availability.
      Norris is currently on a deal worth around £13m per year and a new extension could see him earn £20m per year from 2026 onwards.
      McLaren CEO Zak Brown has signed key design staff, such as David Sanchez and Rob Marshall from Ferrari and Red Bull respectively, as the team make progress off track.
      Speaking at the launch of the team’s livery for 2024, Brown says he now wants to turn his attention to signing up his drivers to their long term project to win championships again.
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      He said: “My primary role is to get the right people in place, give them the right resources, and the support.
      “Of course when you’re building a team that has desires to get back to winning the world championship, you need the management, you need the technology, the infrastructure, and of course you need the two grand prix drivers.
      “I think we have all of those in place. We have Lando under contract for another couple of years. Of course, we’re in dialogue with him on a continuous basis as he’s starting to think through as we are, we’re very focused now here, obviously on the short term.
      “But also 2026 isn’t far away, and we recognise that being able to retain Lando and Oscar [Piastri] for the foreseeable future is definitely a key element and something that is a high priority for us.”
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      Norris is yet to win his first race but has come agonisingly close. He has taken 13 podiums and finished the championship in sixth place last season.
      And Brown says it is not down to his driver’s failure to see out the result but because the team have let him down, something he wants to rectify in 2024.
      He added: “The first victory is always somehow the most important, because when you have it, some confidence comes with it, so other things come slightly easier.
      “At the moment, I would say the main reason why this has not been possible is because we haven’t put Lando in condition to consistently compete for the victory.
      “So when Lando wins his first race, it will be a beautiful moment. He’s ready for that. It’s more about us being ready in delivering the car that allows him to take the opportunities.
      “At the moment, like actually we’ve been leading races but we couldn’t consolidate the result up to the chequered flag, so we look forward to that win, and hopefully we’ll have the opportunity in 2024.”
      While Brown is optimistic about his team’s chances coming into the new season he has raised concerns about the partnership between Red Bull and their sister team, AlphaTauri.
      And the McLaren chief thinks it could disrupt the playing field if the two teams are allowed to operate too closely and has subsequently voiced his fears.
      He said: “I am concerned over the AlphaTauri/Red Bull alliance.
      “AlphaTauri is, from what I understand, moving to the UK, which I think will benefit both teams.
      “So this A/B team and co-ownership, which is a whole other level of A/B team, is a big concern to us and the health and fairness of the sport.
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      “The A/B team co-ownership is a serious issue for the fairness of the sport for the fans.
      “That’s why it’s pretty much not allowed in any other form of major sport, and I’d like to see us as an industry focus on that before it gets to a level of being where F1 once was, which was very out of balance because people are playing by the rules but a different set of rules.”
      Norris made the podium an impressive 13 times last yearCredit: Getty More

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      Max Verstappen snubbed from hiring Mercedes AMG GT with top speed of 195mph on holiday — as he’s ‘too young’

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      FORMULA One world champion Max Verstappen was snubbed when he tried to hire a high-performance car on holiday — as he was too young.The 26-year-old Dutch ace — used to racing at well over 200mph — was denied access to the Mercedes, which has a top speed of 195mph.
      Formula One ace Max Verstappen was unable to hire a Mercedes from car rental firm Sixt when he went on holidayCredit: Splash News
      Staff said that allowing Verstappento take the AMG GT motor would have breached its insurance policyCredit: Mercedes
      Staff at car rental firm Sixt said that allowing Verstappen — who won his first grand prix aged 18 — to take the AMG GT motor would have breached its insurance policy as he is under 30.
      The Red Bull racer, who this season won his third consecutive F1 world championship, instead had to make do with a less powerful BMW 5 Series.
      He flew to the Algarve in Portugal with family and friends on three private jets last Monday.
      The party had rented around 20 cars from Sixt at Faro Airport and hired the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve racing circuit for two days before Verstappen flew on to Brazil.
      READ MORE ON F1
      A source said: “Max and the group went to Portugal for a fun racing trip and had booked the cars they wanted.
      “When they got to the airport, Max was shocked when he was told he wasn’t allowed to drive the Mercedes he wanted.
      “He’s a seasoned F1 driver who’s used to handling powerful cars, so it’s quite astonishing to think he wasn’t allowed to get behind the wheel of this one — but those are the rules, so he abided by them.”
      Verstappen, who has hit a top speed of 213mph in his RB19 F1 car, had picked out the Mercedes AMG GT, which can do up to 195.7mph.
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      The BMW he was eventually given can cruise at up to 155.3mph.
      His manager Raymond Vermeulen ended up driving the Mercedes.
      Belgium-born Verstappen has won 54 races and made the podium 98 times in his F1 career.
      He has raced for Red Bull since 2016 and is said to have earned £43million this year alone.
      He began karting aged four and was competing in championships at seven. Dad Jos, 51, was also an F1 driver.
      Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has said of Verstappen: “I believe he will turn out to be the greatest driver of all time.”
      A Sixt spokesman said: “The employees of our franchise partner in Portugal have only followed the rules that arise for insurance reasons.
      “In order to find a customer-friendly solution on site, Mr Verstappen was provided with another premium vehicle.
      “However, there can be special circumstances that justify a deviation from rules. This is such a case.
      “We apologise to Mr Verstappen. He can rent the car he wants from us at any time.
      “There is of course no doubt at all about his driving skills and his experience with powerful cars.”
      In August, Verstappen appeared to break the speed limit while driving a £2.3million Aston Martin Valkyrie supercar through a tunnel in France.
      Read more on The Sun
      A video showed him to seemingly be at 73mph on a 55mph road.
      His representative was asked to comment.
      Verstappen has hit a top speed of 213mph in his RB19 F1 carCredit: Getty More

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      Lewis Hamilton and Co given hope for 2024 F1 season as Red Bull chief reveals Max Verstappen’s weakness

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      RED BULL director Helmut Marko has revealed the key aspect in which Max Verstappen can still improve.The Dutchman dominated Formula 1 in 2023, winning 19 of the 22 races.
      Max Verstappen has dominated Formula 1 in recent yearsCredit: PA
      Verstappen won his third world title on the bounce and is expected to make it four next time out.
      But Marko, 80, believes he still has room to improve.
      Speaking to Sky Germany, Marko said: “Here and there he gets a little impatient when the car is not exactly to his liking.
      “He becomes even faster and takes more care of the material. That gives him an advantage again. I would never have thought it possible, so I don’t see any limits to the top.”
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      Marko believes that the best is yet to come for F1’s most dominant driver, in daunting news for other competitors.
      He added: “It’s his absolute will to win, he can go to the limit in every situation. He does that with aplomb and ease.
      “He has made a very decisive step in tyre management. He can drive at the limit without pushing the tyres.
      “He knows how far he can go. We haven’t seen the peak yet.”
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      McLaren team principal Andrea Stella recently snubbed seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton when naming his three best drivers on the grid.
      Speaking to DAZN, Stella said: “Lando [Norris] is already one of the best drivers on the grid.
      “He is very fast, very good in the race, with tire management… When I think about Lando, I think that if the team and I gave him a good car, he would be able to fight for the championship.
      “When we talk about being the most complete, I definitely think of Fernando Alonso. He basically has no weaknesses.
      “I think this makes him unique. He is not the best in many things, but he is very strong in all of them.
      “Lando, I think his development as a driver will make him so complete. He reminds me a little of Fernando.
      “My top 3 drivers with the same cars would be Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.”
      Lewis Hamilton was snubbed by McLaren tam principal Andrea StellaCredit: Alamy More

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      Max Verstappen must cough up more than £1MILLION to compete in F1 next season – but Lewis Hamilton pays less than half

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN will have to pay more than £1MILLION to compete in F1 next season.The Dutch star, 26, claimed his third successive drivers’ championship in 2023 with a record 16 wins and 575 points.
      Max Verstappen will have to pay more than £1million to take part in the 2024 seasonCredit: Rex
      Lewis Hamilton will only have to pay £431,000 to compete next yearCredit: Alamy
      But the price of his dominant year means he will have to shell out a substantial amount to compete in 2024.
      F1 racing licences for the following season are always calculated by the previous term’s points totals.
      The base cost for the drivers is nearly £9,000, before each point accumulated incurs an additional £1800.
      This means Verstappen’s 575-point total racks up a payment of more than £1m.
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      The overall total for the Dutch driver stands at £1,046,911.
      However, it is likely Red Bull will cover the cost of the racing licence for their star man.
      Meanwhile, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton will only have to pay £431,349 to compete in 2024 – less than half the fee of rival Verstappen.
      He picked up just 234 points and failed to win a race for a second consecutive season.
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      Williams driver Logan Sargeant, who claimed just one point in the 2023 season, will pay the least amount after accumulating a total of just £10,800.
      Verstappen has complained in the past about having to pay the hefty fees.
      He said: “I don’t think it’s right that we have to pay so much.
      “It doesn’t happen in other sports either. And there are more and more races.”
      There will be a record 24 races next season, up from 22 in 2023. More

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      Ex-F1 champion lifts lid on secret talks in the F1 paddock after Lewis Hamilton to Red Bull rumours blew up

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      FORMULA ONE legend Jacques Villeneuve revealed secret backstage talks between rivals “always happen” in the paddock.This comes after sensational rumours suggesting Mercedes superstar Sir Lewis Hamilton sent someone to approach Red Bull team principal Christian Horner regarding a shock swap.
      Jacques Villeneuve revealed backstage talks between rivals ‘always happen’Credit: Splash
      Shock reports claim a member of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s camp approached Red BullCredit: Getty
      Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claimed Hamilton’s rep discussed a possible swapCredit: Alamy
      Villeneuve wasn’t stunned by those reports as he remembers similar incidents taking place during his glory years on a regular basis.
      However, the Williams great insists when the news come out a driver always has to make sure they negate those rumours.
      Villeneuve told Planet F1: “It gets a lot of print!
      “As a driver, you’re not allowed to talk to other teams while you’re under contract and all that. But talks always happen.
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      “Obviously, you cross people in the paddock or, sometimes, you’ll use someone who doesn’t work for you, but will still do the talk so you’re protected.
      “But, if the noise comes out, you have to negate it. Then who’s there to check?”
      In the lead-up to the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Horner revealed a member of Hamilton’s camp had approached him to talk about a possible switch to his team.
      A Red Bull spokesperson then revealed that conversation had been with Sir Lewis’ father Anthony.
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      But both the British superstar and Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff quickly shut down those claims.
      Hamilton has vehemently denied those rumours and even claimed Horner was “just stirring things”.
      The seven-time F1 world champion added he had no knowledge regarding an approach from his camp. More

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      Lewis Hamilton admits he’d ‘love to drive’ F1 rival’s car as he opens up on ‘two difficult years’ at Mercedes

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has admitted he would love to drive Red Bull’s Formula One car.Mercedes have had a challenging couple of years since the new era of F1 car designs were introduced into the sporting regulations.
      Lewis Hamilton has admitted he would ‘love’ to drive the Red Bull F1 carCredit: Alamy
      Max Verstappen enjoyed unprecedented success behind the wheel this seasonCredit: Getty
      The Brackley-based team have won just won race in the last two seasons, with that sole win coming with George Russell in Brazil 2022.
      And that has left seven-time world champion Hamilton without a race win for two years, having previously won a race in every season he had featured in beforehand.
      Hamilton showed his quality by finishing the best of the rest in the 2023 drivers championship, but was still unable to snatch a race win thanks to the unprecedented dominance of Red Bull.
      Indeed, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was the only driver not in a Red Bull to take a chequered flag this season as Max Verstappen hoovered up a record-breaking 19 race wins and Sergio Perez landed two.
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      Red Bull brainiac designer Adrian Newey has already claimed their car evolution plan next year will be “so difficult for anyone to catch up”, so Hamilton’s challenge may get even harder.
      NOT that the 38-year-old is backing down from the challenge, but he believes every driver on the grid would love driving the “most dominant car of all-time”.
      As quoted by F1i.com, he said: “Every driver here looks at the Red Bull car and would love to drive that car, and I am not saying that I wouldn’t love to drive that car and feel how good it is, every driver would feel that.”
      However, he also backed Mercedes to recreate the winning formula which allowed Hamilton to land six of his seven world titles.
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      He said: “We’ve had two difficult years, and if we work towards beating that car, it is going to be a way better feeling than stepping into the best car.
      “That wouldn’t do much for me, in the sense of stepping into the car that is the most dominant of all-time.
      “Working with my team to build and be able to beat them, that would be better for my legacy.”
      Despite this, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has backed Hamilton to be fighting for the title in 2024, so long as the team deliver a car capable keeping up with Red Bull.
      When asked by Sky Sports as to whether they can bridge that gap next season, Wolff said: “New season starts with a completely new car and that gives opportunities but also risks.
      “I think we’ve got to be realistic.”
      He added: “If we are able to give him the car, then he will be fighting for a world championship.
      “I have no doubt. It’s clear that when you have a Formula 1 car like we have now, you are never at ease with it.”
      Verstappen broke a number of records with Red Bull in 2023, including the sport’s longest race-winning streak with ten and becoming the first driver to ever lead 1000 laps in a season.
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More