Following the action-packed, ‘drain cover-loosening’ pre-season testing of the 2024 F1 season, Red Bull looks super-confident about its continued dominance ahead of the new Formula 1 season. While everything is going accordingly at the RB camp, there’s still one major situation that remains unsettled: Christian Horner’s ongoing investigation.
Regarding Christian Horner’s investigation, Jim Farly—CEO of Red Bull’s future partner, Ford—recently lashed out about RB’s blurriness on the situation.
Jim Farley goes off on Red Bull for slow progress on Christian Horner’s case
Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford, recently flat-out expressed his ‘frustration’ of Red Bull’s handling of its investigation into Team Principal Christian Horner.
On Sunday, February 25, the Associated Press reported that it had obtained a copy of a letter sent by the CEO of Ford Motor Co. to Red Bull Racing regarding Christian Horner’s investigation. The Farley letter clearly expressed his dissatisfaction over the investigation’s pace and ‘lack of transparency’.
“We [Ford] are likewise frustrated by the lack of full transparency surrounding this matter with us, your corporate partners, and look forward to receiving a complete account of all findings”, the letter stated, as reported by AP.
Reflecting on RB’s unresponsive behavior to Ford’s first query on the case, Farley wrote: “As we have indicated previously, without satisfactory response, Ford’s values are non-negotiable. It is imperative that our racing partners share and demonstrate a genuine commitment to those same values.”
Although Ford trusts the fairness of the investigation, Farley wrote that he expects open communication with RB on this matter. “My team and I are available at any time to discuss this matter. We remain insistent on, and hopeful, for a resolution we can all stand behind,” he added.
Jim Farley concluded his strong words by suggesting that “prompt and serious attention” be given by Red Bull on this matter.
From what SportsZion understands, Ford, represented by Jim Farley, clearly expects Christian Horner’s investigation to be concluded at the earliest, particularly before the season-opening 2024 Bahrain GP.
Will Christian Horner accompany Red Bull at Bahrain GP 2024?
Amidst Christian Horner’s ongoing investigation, the Red Bull camp is bracing itself for this weekend’s season-opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix. But there is a heated discussion about whether Christian Horner will accompany Red Bull at the GP or not.
Christian Horner, who has publicly denied all allegations made against him at the RB20’s launch, witnessed his investigation becoming more complex, as De Telegraaf reported that a female employee submitted proof of Horner’s ‘sexually transgressive texts’ to RB authorities.
Regarding this investigation by Red Bull into Christian Horner, on February 18, Formula 1 released its first official statement, reporting that it acknowledged the internal investigation by RB and hoped to see a conclusion at the earliest timeframe.
From what it appears, Red Bull is swimming in dangerous waters, as it is battling to keep the investigation ‘fair’, while eating up pressure from Formula 1 and most recently from Ford. This makes it difficult to put forward any [unofficial] specific timeframe for the investigation’s conclusion.
Hence, it is hard to say whether Christian Horner will accompany Red Bull at the season-opener or not; only time will bring forth the answers to this debate.
Red Bull will be racing in the Bahrain Grand Prix between February 29 and March 2, with or without Christian Horner.
Will Jim Farley’s ‘frustrating’ comments affect Ford’s partnership with Red Bull? Should Red Bull keep the ‘controversial’ Christian Horner off the F1 paddocks in Bahrain? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
