Horner has been the focus of a probe by Red Bull GmbH following claims made by a female employee. An independent barrister conducted an eight-week investigation into the complaints, which have since been dismissed due to no evidence of any wrongdoing.
But the controversy stepped up again during the build-up to the 2024 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after anonymous emails – claiming to include files at the heart of the matter – were sent to FIA, FOM and F1 bosses plus members of the media.
Ahead of the Bahrain race, which Red Bull dominated as Max Verstappen led a team 1-2, Horner featured on the grid alongside the energy drinks company’s Thai heir Chalerm Yoovidhya.
When asked by Sky Sports whether he was confident about his future heading into the Saudi Arabian GP next weekend, Horner replied: “Yes, absolutely, I wouldn’t be here otherwise.
“We are a very strong team,” said Horner when asked about intra-team unity. “We have got tremendous support and we have got tremendous partners and great shareholders behind us as well. You don’t achieve this kind of result by not being united.”
Horner paid tribute to the Red Bull staff in light of the dominant victory, declaring the GP to be a “perfect start and a very dominant race.
“I have to say a big thank you to all the men and women back in Milton Keynes that this winter have worked so hard and come up with another great car.
“It is testimony to that hard work that goes on behind the scenes. So, a great team performance to get that 1-2 finish and maximum points today.”
“You can see [the RB20 challenger] is an aggressive evolution, and I think the design team, the whole team, has done a wonderful, wonderful job. They haven’t rested on their laurels.
“They’ve pushed hard and pushed the boundaries, and you can see there is a lot of innovative ideas on the car. It has got the basis of [the RB19] on it but it is a strong evolution.”
