Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner has unexpectedly found himself in trouble, less than a month before the start of the new F1 season. The team’s parent company, Red Bull, has launched an internal investigation against Horner upon allegations of ‘inappropriate behavior‘ against a female employee. This has led to a chaotic situation for the 50-year-old, as there have been reports of the Red Bull boss being advised to voluntarily resign from his position. While this is not yet certain to happen, who can replace a figure like Horner if he has to leave Red Bull?
Horner is one of the most iconic F1 team principals of all time. He joined the Milton-Keynes-based stable back in 2005, and to date, has won six constructors’ and seven drivers’ titles with the team. He oversaw the rise and success of talents like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen in his team too. So, if Red Bull does part ways with him, they need to shortlist a worthy replacement.
Jonathan Wheatley
According to a video by Motorsport-Magazin, Jonathan Wheatley is the man who can take over as the interim team principal, if Horner steps down. Wheatley is the sporting director at the Milton Keynes team and is a senior figure often on the pit wall beside the British boss.
For Wheatley, it could be a crucial time to step up and into the limelight. He has been with the team since 2006 and has played a huge role in the team’s success. For fans, Wheatley will be most memorable for his exchanges with Michael Masi over the team radio during the 2021 season.
Similar to James Vowles and Andrea Stella, Wheatley has developed himself to be a reliable and strong man of reason, with great team management qualities to replace Horner if needed.
Even if Wheatley doesn’t get the permanent job, he could definitely hold the ship as interim boss.
Helmut Marko
There were reports on whether Helmut Marko would take over the reins of the team. However, the video from Motorsport Magazin also suggested that Marko has no intention of doing so. The Austrian advisor is the oldest authority figure in F1, and his eye for talent has seen some huge stars develop under the Red Bull banner. His experience and the respect he commands could be invaluable, but age is a factor.
At the age of 80, it is unclear as to how long Marko will remain in F1. Rumors even suggest that he will not travel to all 24 races this season, because of the hectic schedule.
Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey is perhaps, the greatest mind to ever work in F1. Currently, the Chief Technical Officer of Red Bull, Newey has designed championship-winning cars for Williams and McLaren in the past. His genius is undeniable, although he has never been the leader of a team.
Should Red Bull consider sacking Christian Horner, having Newey as team principal could prove to be a good decision. He knows what it takes to win, and has the respect of all his colleagues, and even rivals. That is if Newey decides to remain in Red Bull.
Over the last several weeks, there have been rumors that point towards Newey leaving the team, if Horner is sacked.
Otmar Szafnauer
The last few years were torrid for Otmar Szafnauer. He was associated with team Silverstone for a long time, overseeing operations under several names – Force India, Racing Point, and then Aston Martin. However, disagreements with owner Lawrence Stroll forced him to leave the team, and he joined the Enstone-based outfit Alpine.
Things were not particularly smooth for him at Alpine either. First, he had problems with Fernando Alonso, which made the two-time world champion depart for Aston Martin. Then, internal issues at Alpine lost him his job midway into the 2023 campaign.
Nonetheless, he has a lot of experience that Red Bull could potentially use to its advantage. Szafnauer’s name, however, is just a pick and there are no rumors linking him to the outfit as of now.
Guenther Steiner
Some would argue that Guenther Steiner is the hottest free agent when it comes to team bosses at the moment. He was the main man at Haas, becoming the American outfit’s face, thanks to Netflix’s superhit show Drive to Survive.
Unfortunately, results were not on his side during his Haas tenure and the team let go of him ahead of 2024. Still, commercially, Steiner would be an asset to any team. He is charismatic, and the media seems to love him.
Red Bull being a result-oriented, championship-contending team, however, could choose to look at things differently.
Mystery around the allegations against Christian Horner
The pertinent question everyone is asking currently is what are the allegations against Christian Horner? Amid their ongoing internal investigation, Red Bull has denied revealing any details on the same. Given the deliberate secrecy, it seems very serious, especially when it involves one of their key leaders like Horner.
According to Motorsport-Total, the accusations pertain to some “cross-border behavior” towards one of the employees at Red Bull Racing. Although the report clearly states to protect the privacy of the people involved, they are understandably taking a cautious approach to not reveal any details.
However, the report cited that there is a dossier at Red Bull in Fuschl, Austria, that has incriminating material about these accusations. This dossier will be part of the internal scrutiny during Red Bull’s ongoing investigation.
As for Horner, he reportedly denied all these allegations at a Formula 1 Commission meeting that happened this week. The Briton is aware of the voluntary suggestions for him to resign from the post of Red Bull team principal. As of yet, there is no comment from his end, and probably won’t be until the investigation concludes.
Given the seriousness of the situation, it is best to not assume anything until Red Bull does their due diligence. Even as Red Bull has launched their 2024 car, with Horner’s presence, the investigation is ongoing. So, it would take time for the Austrian brand to conclude these proceedings and close this matter.
