Red Bull’s Christian Horner Cleared In Inappropriate Behavior Investigation

In a bit of fortuitous timing, with the first day of F1 qualifying just a few hours away, Red Bull Racing announced that the independent investigation into allegations against team principal Christian Horner had been completed. And, according to a statement from Red Bull, Horner has been cleared of wrongdoing. 

"The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed. The complainant has a right of appeal," the statement reads. Red Bull also said the investigation had been conducted in a "fair, rigorous, and impartial" way.

The statement continues: "The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned."

Horner had been under investigation after allegations of inappropriate behavior had surfaced earlier in February.

READ: Red Bull Boss Christian Horner Faces Hearing Over Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior

And while the release of the results of the investigation would seem to put an end to the incident, there was another twist in the story on Thursday afternoon.

Nov 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner arrives before practice at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Messages Leaked Regarding Christian Horner Allegations

The Daily Mail reported that hundreds of messages were sent out to a number of principals and other executives in F1 after Red Bull announced the completion of the investigation. 

Those messages reportedly included text messages and photos between Horner and a female Red Bull employee and were sent to all the other team principals as well as other prominent individuals like Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen's father. Horner released a statement through a Red Bull team spokesperson seemingly addressing the leak.

"I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations," the statement said.

"I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way," it continued.

Horner is married to Geri Halliwell, also known as "Ginger Spice" from the Spice Girls. As team principal of the most successful team on the grid over the past few seasons and the team widely expected to dominate in 2024 as well, he carries an enormous amount of importance to the sport. 

The first race in Bahrain is set for Saturday, with qualifying taking place on Friday morning for much of the United States. Assuming Red Bull stands by the results of the investigation even after the emails were sent, Horner will likely be in his usual place on the paddock. But only time will tell if the allegations and resulting uncertainty impacted Red Bull's development and progress on their new car in their efforts to defend the most dominant season in F1 history.