Martin Brundle has warned that there will be a “challenge” for Red Bull if Christian Horner is sacked as a result of an ongoing investigation.
The Red Bull team principal's job is under threat after an employee filed a complaint with parent company Red Bull GmbH alleging inappropriate behavior.
Horner strongly denies the allegations, but the verdict on the investigation is expected to be made public this week and could mean the departure of the grid's longest-serving team manager.
Red Bull warns of 'challenge' after Christian Horner
For the time being, business continues as usual, with Horner attending both the RB20 launch in Milton Keynes and pre-season testing, but dark clouds are gathering over the reigning world champions.
Brundle, who is also away in Bahrain for the start of the new season, said the uncertainty within the team began long before Horner's investigation and was triggered by the death of co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz. thinking.
“I think the problem Red Bull has is that Dietrich Mateschitz was the final arbiter of important decisions,” Brundle told Sky Sports. “And they went after him. He said he would jump and they said how high he would fly. I'm sure you've all seen some of it already, but chaos is too strong a word. But from that point on in 2022, let’s call it chaos.”
Horner's departure would mean the loss of another key continuity figure for the 50-year-old, who has been with the team since its inception in 2005.
Mr Brundle said that while the immediate future was resolved, there could be “challenges” in the future.
“Obviously, when you take Christian out of that loop, the vacuum is always filled with other things, right?” Brundle said. “And whether it has the same effect or not. [as Mateschitz’s passing,] But they have momentum; [Max] Verstappen. So I'm not too worried about their immediate performance.
“But I have to say that in the future it will create some challenges.”
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Mr Horner has consistently denied the allegations, but Mr Brundle's Sky colleague Craig Slater suggested a decision could be made as early as Wednesday (February 28).
According to a report from Sky Sports, a full investigation is currently being conducted by the board of directors at Red Bull's headquarters in Salzburg, Austria, and is said to be well over 100 pages in length, including interview testimonies from those involved. ing.
Out of respect for the confidentiality of those involved, any communication from Red Bull's parent company is unlikely to include material details about the allegations themselves.
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