Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, has warned that the ongoing saga surrounding Christian Horner and Red Bull is 'damaging' to the sport as a whole.
Horner was cleared of wrongdoing by an internal investigation on Wednesday, after a female team employee accused him of 'inappropriate behaviour' toward her.
However, some of Horner's rival team bosses called for Formula 1 and the FIA to conduct an external investigation, with Toto Wolff claiming the initial process was 'vague' and 'opaque'.
Horner vehemently denies the allegations, and has expressed his delight at the process being complete.
The saga turned its head once more on Thursday, however, as alleged WhatsApp 'messages' from the Red Bull man were anonymously sent to around 150 accounts, including F1 bosses.
This sparked discussions between F1 and the FIA, with Horner involved in a meeting with Ben Sulayem during FP3 at the Bahrain Grand Prix, according to Sky Sports' Ted Kravitz. The FIA and F1 have declined to comment on the proposed meeting, according to the Financial Times.
Christian Horner has been the subject of an internal investigation at Red BullThe 2024 season kicks off in Bahrain this weekend
Ben Sulayem speaks out on Horner verdict
Now, the Financial Times have released an interview with Ben Sulayem, where he spoke about the allegations and his meeting with Horner on Friday.
“It’s damaging the sport...This is damaging on a human level,” Ben Sulayem said.
The FIA president added that it was vital to “protect our sport from all of this."
“It is the beginning of the season. F1 is becoming so popular,” he said. “We just need to enjoy the beginning of the season. Look at the competition. Why do we overshadow it with negativity?”
A meeting between Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Christian Horner took place at the Bahrain Grand Prix
On the supposed messages, Horner released a statement talking about what he called 'anonymous speculation'.
"I won't comment on anonymous speculation," he said. "But, to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations. I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully co-operated with it every step of the way.
"It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister and it has concluded, dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season."
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
GP JAPAN
5 - 7 Apr
GP CHINA
19 - 21 Apr
GP USA
3 - 5 May
GP ITALY
17 - 19 May
GP MONACO
24 - 26 May
GP CANADA
7 - 9 Jun
GP SPAIN
21 - 23 Jun
GP AUSTRIA
28 - 30 Jun
GP GREAT BRITAIN
5 - 7 Jul
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
Grand Prix of Hungary 2024 
Grand Prix of Belgium 2024 
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024 
Grand Prix of Singapore 2024 
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024 
Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024 
Qatar Grand Prix 2024 
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024 
Innovatieweg 20C