Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is on his way to Bahrain, with a decision expected later today over allegations by a female employee about his conduct.
Horne, who is due to land in Bahrain today, could arrive to find he is out of a job or he could be cleared to continue before Saturday’s season-opening Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.
An announcement from Red Bull’s Salzburg-based Austrian parent company is expected before the race at Sakhir.
The fact that Horner is flying to the Kingdom is not necessarily a sign that he has been cleared. Nor is the fact that he is arriving in Bahrain after Wednesday’s media activities have taken place a sign that he is avoiding paddock commitments.
Team principals are not generally put up for media on the first day of a race weekend, and Horner often arrives at flyaways on the day of opening practice.
An investigation into the sport’s longest-serving principal and the husband of former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, has been ongoing since January, although details only emerged publicly on Feb 5.
Horner declined to comment last week when asked about the investigation into his alleged inappropriate behaviour. But rival team principals have continued to pile on the pressure. McLaren’s Zak Brown followed the lead of Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, describing the allegations as “extremely serious” and calling for “transparency” in the handling of the investigation.
Brown added that there needed to be a swift resolution, saying: “These aren’t the headlines F1 needs.”
The investigation has cast a cloud over the team’s preparations for the new season.
Horner has said he hoped for a resolution “as soon as possible,” while world champion Max Verstappen said his rivals were using the controversy as a means to destabilize Red Bull.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has defended the length of time it is taking to conclude the company’s investigation.
Horner said he was “confident” he would clear his name when the allegations first came to light and said: “I absolutely deny any of the allegations that have been made.”
He faced an eight-hour grilling from a barrister as part of the investigation, which centres around alleged ‘controlling’ behaviour on the part of Horner, 50.
Horner and his team celebrated the most dominant season in Formula One history last year, with Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races, and will start the new season with Dutch driver Verstappen chasing a fourth successive title.
