Toto Wolff is the only team boss to comment on the allegations against Christian Horner: The Austrian hopes for a thorough process and a learning effect
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff believes it is important to have a thorough process when investigating the allegations against Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and emphasizes that Formula 1 must implement what it wants to stand for publicly
Horner is currently the subject of an internal investigation at Red Bull. He is accused of inappropriate behavior towards an employee of the team, which could also have a major impact on the Formula 1 team if Red Bull concludes that the Briton is no longer acceptable as team principal.
In recent months, Formula 1 itself has campaigned intensively for issues such as inclusion, equality, fairness and diversity. “And it’s not just about talking about it, it’s about living it day in, day out. And I think that’s the standard we set ourselves,” clarified Toto Wolff during the test drives in Bahrain.
He sees those involved as role models in a global sport, which is why a “precise process” in dealing with Horner and the allegations is important – he wants to wait for the outcome of the analyses before making any further comments.
“Red Bull has started an independent investigation and if this is done in the right way, with transparency and rigor, then this is something we need to look at, what the results are and what this means for Formula 1 and how we can learn from it,” said the Austrian.
Because it’s not really a topic you want to talk about in Formula 1: “We want to talk about race cars, and about the sport, and not about these very, very critical issues that are more than just a problem for the team,” says Wolff. “It’s a problem for Formula 1 as a whole, and more generally for every single person working out there.”
Wolff was the only team boss to comment on the issue at all during the lunchtime press conference in Bahrain. He was joined by Ayao Komatsu (Haas), Mike Krack (Aston Martin) Frederic Vasseur (Ferrari) and James Vowles (Williams).
The investigations at Red Bull are still ongoing and have not yet come to any known conclusion
