12 March 2024 , 08:36
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Christian Horner made it clear he is still in charge of Red Bull Racing despite ongoing speculation over his Formula 1 future.
Horner, 50, was accused by a colleague of "inappropriate behaviour" and investigated by the parent company. He was later cleared, but the matter remains a key talking point amid suggestions of a possible struggle for power behind the scenes.
Max Verstappen's father Jos has publicly suggested Horner needs to leave on more than one occasion. And adviser Helmut Marko was himself the subject of a separate investigation.
The saga has overshadowed Red Bull's title defence, but has not derailed it. Verstappen has done the business on track to start the 2024 season with back-to-back wins, while team-mate Sergio Perez finished second in both races to put the team in an already commanding position in the standings.
Keen to avoid the drama from blighting those results further, Horner wants to draw a line under it. He told reporters: "I think that there's probably too much said already by other parties. The team is the team, Max is part of the team, Helmut is part of the team, I lead this team, and everybody has a key role to play."
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But as much as that is true, he will have to manage those under him very carefully in the coming months - especially Verstappen. Amid speculation Marko could be on his way out, the Dutchman has already suggested he would make for the exit door himself should the 80-year-old leave.
Naturally, Verstappen has since been linked with a switch to rivals Mercedes to fill the seat that will be vacated at the end of the year by Lewis Hamilton. Such a scenario is one that Horner would dearly love to avoid.
But he insists even the triple world champion is not bigger than the team and, should Verstappen want to leave, he would not stand in his way. He added: "No individual is bigger than the team. We have a phenomenal car. We've got one seat open for next year. I probably got 16 drivers that are desperate to be in that car for next year.
"We have a strong relationship with Max. He's done a wonderful job. His focus is very much on what he's doing on track and that's where our focus is.
"If a driver doesn't want to be somewhere, then they'll go somewhere else. It's like anything in life - you can't force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper. If somebody didn't want to be at this team, then we're not going to force somebody against their will to be here."