Christian Horner will be in Red Bull pit wall at Bahrain pre-season testing despite ongoing investigation

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is reportedly preparing for the pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit and will oversee the team operations behind the pit wall, while the allegations surrounding him continue to make headlines.

After a dominant 2023 F1 season, where Red Bull wiped the floor from its rivals, its team principal is in the spotlight for less favorable reasons, heading into the 2024 season. Accusations of "inappropriate behavior" against Horner emerged publicly on February 5, and the investigation is yet to conclude.

According to F1-insider.com, Christian Horner will be present for the three-day pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit, scheduled from Wednesday, February 21 to February 23.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will share the RB20, which will carry some radical changes in the design concept, despite its predecessor, RB19 dominating the championship last year, winning 21 of the 22 races.

Horner was investigated by an external lawyer hired by the parent Red Bull company on February 9, in London. The interrogation has not yielded a resolution on the matter.

Despite the allegations looming over him, Horner attended Red Bull's launch event on February 15 at its headquarters in Milton Keynes. At the event, the 50-year-old had addressed and completely denied the allegations against him.

Horner, the longest-serving team principal on the grid, remains steadfast in his denial of the allegations and is fully committed to leading Red Bull's 2024 campaign.

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F1 and FIA issue statements on Christian Horner's investigation

Two weeks after the allegations against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner surfaced, Formula 1 and its governing body, the FIA, acknowledged the internal investigations being conducted at Red Bull in a public statement.

The statement released by F1 on February 18 read:

"We have noted Red Bull has instigated an independent investigation into internal allegations at Red Bull Racing. We hope the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity, after a fair and thorough process. We will not comment further at this time."

It was soon followed by a statement from the governing body reiterating their stance on withholding any comments on the matter until the results of the investigations were released.

"In relation to the independent investigation currently being undertaken by Red Bull GmbH, the FIA reiterates that until such time as the investigation has concluded and the outcome is known, we will not be commenting further. The FIA remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity within the sport," the statement read further.

As of now, Red Bull has not provided any timeline for the investigation.