Christian Horner F1 News: Toto Wolff slams Red Bull over 'vague, opaque' investigation

Toto Wolff and Christian Horner at F1 Testing — Photo: © IMAGO

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Wolff slams Red Bull over 'vague, opaque' Horner investigation

The Mercedes boss has had his say

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 1 March 2024 08:27

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has backed up claims from Zak Brown that there should be a more transparent, external investigation into allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' levelled at Christian Horner.

The Red Bull team principal was cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation conducted by Red Bull GmbH, and is continuing on in his position as boss at the Formula 1 world champions.

Horner 'completely' denies the allegations, but the saga has turned its head once more, after a journalist claimed that Horner's WhatsApp messages sent to the complainant had been emailed to hundreds of parties up and down the F1 paddock.

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The 50-year-old has responded to this 'speculation', but McLaren CEO Brown called for both F1 and the FIA to conduct an external investigation, to see whether they would reach the same conclusion as Red Bull.

Christian Horner has been the subject of an internal investigation at Red Bull

Toto Wolff is not happy with Red Bull's investigation of Christian Horner

Wolff calls for new investigation

Now, Wolff has also suggested that the initial statement released by Red Bull clearing Horner was not enough, and that there should be more transparency in the matter.

"I just read the statement which was pretty basic, and my personal opinion is that we can't look behind the curtain," Wolff told media after Bahrain Grand Prix practice.

"At the end of the day, there is a lady in an organisation that has spoken to HR and said there was an issue, and it was investigated.

"Yesterday, the sport received the message that it was 'all fine, we have looked at it' and I believe that as a global sport on such critical topics, it needs more transparency.

"I wonder what the sport's position is, we are competitors, we are a team and can have our own opinions, but it is more like a general reaction that we as a sport need to address what is right in that situation.

"Again as I said, we are being asked questions here as competitors, are we talking as competitors and with the right values, morals based on the speculation," Wolff continued.

"As a sport, we cannot, we cannot afford to leave things in the vague, the opaque on critical topics like this because it is going to catch us out.

"Because eventually we are in a super transparent world, and eventually things are going to happen, and I think the organisation (Red Bull GmbH) have looked it at and it is 'Okay and we can move on' and not try to suppress it.

"I am not saying this has happened, but we are standing from the outside looking in at statements, press releases and it seems it is not as modern as things are in the real world, but maybe we are in a bubble in Formula 1 and think that is okay."

Red Bull Mercedes McLaren FIA Formula 1 Christian Horner