Christian Horner has confirmed that he plans to continue his role as team leader at Red Bull. Despite ongoing controversy surrounding his exoneration from accusations of misconduct from a female staff member and the release of alleged conversations between him and the accuser, the 50-year-old maintains that he still has the support of his team and loved ones.

The topic has been the main focus of discussions during the first week of the season, despite Max Verstappen from Red Bull winning the Bahrain Grand Prix by a large margin. Horner is currently battling to keep his position, and after the race, he confidently stated that he will not be forced out of the role he has held for over 19 years since the team’s establishment in 2005.

When questioned about his certainty for remaining in his position for the remainder of the season, he was resolute. “Definitely,” he answered without pause, stating that he had always believed that the inquiry into the accusations, which resulted in its ruling on Wednesday to dismiss the claim, would rule in his favor.

“I have always been completely confident that I would be in this position,” he stated. “My main priority is the upcoming season and the races that are ahead of us.”

Horner once again firmly declined to provide a statement regarding the email that exposed the messages. He reiterated that he would not comment on “unidentified, conjectural messages from an undisclosed origin” as their accuracy has not been confirmed.

Sending an email to top members and the media in the F1 community has been viewed as an attempt to disrupt Horner’s position in a possible internal power battle within Red Bull Racing and its parent company, Red Bull GmbH. Horner did not discuss the reasoning behind the email, but maintains that he still has the support of his team and loved ones, including his wife Geri Halliwell-Horner, who joined him at the race track.

“It has been quite unpleasant, the attention I’ve received,” he stated. “I won’t speculate on why someone would do this. My priority is on my team, my loved ones, and racing. I am fortunate to have a supportive family, a wonderful wife, and an amazing team. My main focus is on competing and achieving victory, giving my best in every race.”

After Verstappen’s win, Horner downplayed the significance but acknowledged its monumental 22 second lead over his teammate Sergio Pérez. He stated that going forward, his focus will be on delivering on the track as there are still 23 more races this season. “The team’s reaction speaks for itself, actions speak louder than words,” he stated. Horner’s main concentration is now on the cars and he believes today’s result reflects the team’s unwavering focus. They are now looking ahead and moving forward.

Source: theguardian.com