The Red Bull Racing team principal has been accused of inappropriate behaviour, with an investigation into the allegations having been underway for several weeks.
That included Horner meeting with an independent arbitrator with claims 100 pages of evidence and testimony have been collected.
It is thought a resolution, which will come from Red Bull GmbH rather than Red Bull Racing, could be announced this week.
Ahead of that, the Associated Press has reported Ford boss Jim Farley has written a letter in which he demands the issue be dealt with more transparently than has been the case thus far.
In the correspondence, Farley wrote that the American auto giant is ““increasingly frustrated, however, by the lack of resolution or clear indication from you about when you anticipate a fair and just resolution of this matter.
It added: “We 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.”
Take the short survey.
Farley’s calls for a resolution follow those of Formula 1 Management and the FIA, which called for fairness and transparency in the greater interests of Formula 1.
Meanwhile, Ford holds a high moral bar and expects its partners to adhere to similar standards.
“As we have indicated previously, without satisfactory response, Ford’s values are non-negotiable,” Farley’s letter declared.
“It is imperative that our racing partners share and demonstrate a genuine commitment to those same values. 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.”
Ford has partnered with Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Powertrains in the development of a new power unit for the 2026 season.
Work on that project is already ongoing and set to accelerate in the coming seasons.
Ford is, therefore, an interested party when it comes to the ordeal facing Horner.
Few specifics are known of the situation, which was dragged into the public domain at the start of the month. That’s despite Speedcafe’s understanding the process began last December.
Throughout the protracted process, Horner has maintained his innocence and remained active in his role as team principal of Red Bull Racing.
He was present at the team’s season launch and fronted the media during pre-season testing last week, where he rebuffed questions about the situation with a refusal to speak about it.
Following the pre-season testing, Horner returned to the United Kingdom and is understood to have flown back to Bahrain on Tuesday.
The opening round of the season begins tomorrow (Wednesday) with the usual media day ahead of track action beginning on Thursday.
Horner is not one of the four-team bosses scheduled to appear in the FIA’s team principal’s press conference following Free Practice 1 on Thursday.
It’s possible Horner will, by that point, know his fate, with strong suggestions a decision will be made public this week.
Discussion about this post