As the Christian Horner saga rumbles on, Honda have called for “full clarity”, and sooner rather than later.
Despite starting their title defence with a 1-2 result at the Bahrain Grand Prix, it’s Red Bull’s off-track issues that have dominated headlines after Horner was investigated by Red Bull’s parent company in Salzburg after a grievance was laid against the team boss.
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After a lengthy investigation, Red Bull cleared the 50-year-old, who has always maintained his innocence, of any wrongdoing and have subsequently suspended the person who triggered the investigation.
The matter, though, is by no means done and dusted despite Horner wishing it were.
“There’s been one thing after another and I think that as I say, there’s been an awful lot of leakage around this in what is a private and confidential matter between the employees and the company,” he told the media in Saudi Arabia.
“Unfortunately, through that leakage, it garnered an awful lot of coverage. As I say, it’s now time to focus on the track and what we’re here to do, which is to go racing. We’re a race team.
“We’ve got some phenomenal partners that have been hugely supportive through this, the team, the company, the 1,600 people that work within the group.
“I have to thank them as well for their support. It’s time to move on.”
But while Ford, who have joined up with Red Bull to develop their 2026 power unit, have signalled their unwavering backing of Red Bull with their F1 Academy sponsorship, Red Bull’s current engine partner Honda believe this is not something that should be kept behind closed doors.
“We do not have full details on the matter at this point, therefore Honda are not in a position to make any detailed comment. We look forward to full clarity as soon as possible,” a spokesperson for the Japanese company told the BBC.
Horner is keen to move on.
“Obviously there’s been an awful lot of coverage surrounding this. But one has to go back to the basics of a grievance was raised. It was fully investigated and it was dismissed. And from there, we move onwards.
“I think an awful lot has been made out of this. Obviously, it has been of great interest in different elements of the media for different reasons.
“I think the time now is to look forward and to draw a line under it.
“We’re here to go racing. We’re here as a Formula 1 team and the time now is to focus on what is going on on track and the performance of the cars and the drivers and where the spotlight should be during the course of a grand prix weekend.
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