Red Bull ready to announce Christian Horner’s fate today

An announcement on Christian Horner’s fate is imminent – PA/David Davies

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner faces a decision day on his future on Wednesday over allegations by a female employee about his conduct.

Horner could be out of a job or 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 likely before the race at Sakhir.

An investigation into the sport’s longest serving principal, and 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 in Austria has been going on for over three weeks, casting 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 destabilise 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 and said: “I absolutely deny any of the allegations that have been made.”

He had faced an eight-hour grilling from a top lawyer 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.

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