Red Bull’s Christian Horner to face hearing on Friday

London — Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner will face a company hearing on Friday after an unspecified complaint was made against him.

Sources indicated the hearing will be at the team’s Milton Keynes factory.

There was no official confirmation from the reigning world champions or the Austrian energy drink giant that owns the team as well as sister outfit Visa Cash App RB (previously AlphaTauri).

Red Bull Racing are due to launch their new car on February 15, with testing starting in Bahrain on February 21 and the opening race on March 2. The team have so far made no public comment on the allegations.

The BBC said it understands the complaint relates to “inappropriate behaviour of a controlling nature”.

Horner, who is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, has been quoted by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf as saying he denies the allegations.

Red Bull Austria said on Monday that it was investigating a complaint against Horner, without giving details.

“After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation,” it said.

“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.”

Horner and his team celebrated the most dominant season in Formula One history last year, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen taking his third consecutive title and Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races.

The Briton is the longest-serving team boss in Formula One and was by far the youngest when he led Red Bull into the sport in 2005. Under him, the team have won six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles and are favourites for another season of domination.

Should Horner have to stand down, the effect on the sport would be seismic.

Red Bull’s other main man in the paddock is Austrian motorsport consultant and former racer Helmut Marko, who is now 80 years old, not a team employee and not believed to have any leadership ambitions.

Marko has been controversial, receiving a written warning from the sport’s governing body last September after he blamed the patchy form of the team’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez on his ethnicity.

Reuters