First Formula One chief addresses claims made by Christian Horner in a public interview
James Vowles, the head of Williams F1 team, is the first team principal to publicly respond to accusations made against Christian Horner of Red Bull.
An internal inquiry is presently underway regarding Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing since the beverage firm acquired the former Jaguar squad in 2004.
The specifics of the accusation have not yet been confirmed by the team, but according to BBC Sport, the probe is related to a claim of inappropriately dominating behavior.
Red Bull, the team’s parent business, stated on Monday that it is treating the claims “very seriously” and that an outside specialized attorney is conducting the probe.
When asked about the accusations by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Horner responded, “I completely deny these claims.”
The 50-year-old will reportedly be questioned about the claims on Friday, according to The Times. The team has indicated that he will stay in his position over the course of the probe.
Bloomberg questioned team principal Vowles—who formerly worked for Mercedes, Brawn GP, and Honda—about the accusations made against Horner during the 2024 Williams vehicle unveiling.
“The sport itself, going back 20 years, was definitely dominated by men,” he retorted.
James Vowles on @BloombergTV discussing the Christian Horner allegations.
Unsurprisingly, a very classy interview. #F1 pic.twitter.com/LJb3aAuZSE
— Rob Myers (@RobLMyers) February 6, 2024
“It would be white, probably male, probably forty years old, or something in that range, if you had to ask me what makes up a team.” That is evolving, and the change is solely for the better in terms of the outcome.
“The only thing I can do is open everyone’s eyes to the fact that this is how we must be because the best ideas don’t come from a closed group of individuals. That’s all I can manage within Williams. It originates from variety.
“These are just that—allegations. I fear that I am completely ignorant of their motivations and the gravity of what has transpired.
“All I can say [is] that, should this ever happen in our regard, we’ll be entirely supportive in terms of fixing it and making sure we have a culture that is accepting of everyone.”
In response to a question regarding the possibility that the investigation will result in Horner quitting the sport and the implications of that, Vowles said, “Again, I think it means we all have to look each other in the mirror and make sure that we are posing the right questions internally, and acting in a way that we can be proud of not today but in the next 10 years.”
