Christian Horner investigation: Business as usual for under-fire Red Bull boss

Christian Horner may be under investigation by Red Bull’s parent company, but the F1 team boss is keeping up his duties ahead of the season.

The Red Bull boss is going through a tumultuous period ahead of the 2024 F1 season, with Horner currently the subject of an internal investigation being carried out by parent company Red Bull GmbH.

But, while the investigation is ongoing, Horner is continuing to maintain his duties as the team boss and was in attendance for Red Bull’s RB20 shakedown at Silverstone on Tuesday.

Christian Horner at Red Bull filming day

Ahead of the celebratory launch event being held at Milton Keynes on Thursday, where Red Bull will unveil their 20th Formula 1 car, the team headed to Silverstone for a filming day shakedown on Tuesday.

Both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez got the chance to take the wheel of the new car, blowing off the cobwebs of the winter as Red Bull used up the first of their two permitted filming days.

Each team is permitted two such filming days a year, utilising the latest-spec F1 car, to gather promotional footage and imagery – most of the teams frequently use one of these filming days as a way to ‘shakedown’ their new cars to ensure everything’s working correctly before heading off for three precious days of pre-season testing.

In a chance of regulation for 2024, the permitted distance has been increased from 100 to 200 kilometres of track time – the teams must use specially supplied Pirelli compounds to ensure no developmental learning can be gleaned.

With Red Bull carrying out the filming day with the RB20 on Tuesday, which also saw the team run the 2005 RB1 – driven by David Coulthard – for some extra footage, PlanetF1.com understands Horner was in attendance as the team boss watched the first steps taken by the 2024 F1 car.

Horner is also understood to have been working as normal in the factory in recent days, following on from last Friday’s formal investigative meeting with an external specialist barrister appointed by Red Bull GmbH.

Horner is also expected to be in attendance at the team’s launch event on Thursday, where PlanetF1.com will be reporting from throughout the day.

An exact timeline for determining the outcome of the investigation has not been specified, while the latest official statement supplied by Red Bull GmbH following last Friday’s meeting was to the point: “As already stated, it would not be appropriate for us to comment before the investigation is completed.”

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