Christian Horner:More Facts Erupts As Red Bulls Names A Replacement For The Embattled Chief.
Red Bull’s pre-season preparations have been disrupted by an investigation into team principal Christian Horner.
Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley could reportedly be at the top of Red Bull’s list to replace Christian Horner as team principal, should the investigation into misconduct allegations lead to his departure from F1. Helmut Marko would not be interested in succeeding him in the role if given the chance.
2023 was a sensational year for the Red Bull team as they won 21 out of a possible 22 Grands Prix on their way to a comfortable triumph in both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship.
However, their preparations for the 2024 campaign have been interrupted by an internal investigation.
As confirmed by Dutch news publication De Telegraaf, team boss Horner is currently under investigation following allegations of misconduct, which have since been revealed by AP to relate to his aggressive management style.
Red Bull confirmed the investigation in a statement, which explained: “After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.
This process, which is already under way, 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.”
According to a fresh report from Auto Motor und Sport, the relevant personnel will attend a hearing at the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes on Friday as the team look to clear up the situation and bring a speedy end to the investigation before the launch event takes place on 15 February.
Should the company come to the decision that Horner must step away from his team principal role, Wheatley is reportedly the most likely man to take over those duties in the short term.
With the first race of the season now less than a month away, this decision would need to be made quickly.
Someone who would not be in the frame to replace Horner would be Marko.
According to Motorsport Magazin, the Red Bull director has no ambitions to transition into a team principal role and his power struggle with the existing boss has nothing to do with the ongoing speculation.
While not reported, Red Bull will also have plenty of readily available external options at their disposal if they need a short-term appointment.
Both Mattia Binotto and Otmar Szafnauer could be compelling alternatives having enjoyed recent experience in the paddock in team principal capacities.