Last year, Ford announced that it would be making its long-awaited return to Formula 1 racing as part of a new partnership with the Oracle Red Bull team. The Blue Oval will produce power units for Red Bull starting in 2026, which will also help FoMoCo develop its next-generation all-electric powertrain technology at the same time. Building a competitive power unit from the ground up in a short period of time is a risky endeavor by Ford’s own admission, but it’s one that could pay off big time if successful, given F1’s soaring popularity. However, an investigation into Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner has given the automaker something else to worry about, which recently prompted CEO Jim Farley to call for a speedy resolution, as well as more transparency with its automotive partner. Now that Horner has been cleared of any wrongdoing, Ford is remaining quiet for now, however, according to GPBlog.
Following a weeks-long investigation, Red Bull determined that Horner did nothing wrong and stated that he will remain in place as the team’s CEO and Team Principal. Previously, he had been accused of misconduct, though it was unclear what that might have consisted of, in spite of countless rumors and much speculation.
Regardless, Red Bull announced that it enlisted an independent lawyer to investigate the complaint – which came from an employee within the outfit. That lawyer ultimately cleared Horner of any wrongdoing, closing the chapter on this particular topic, though Ford isn’t ready to discuss the outcome just yet, telling GPBlog “we will not be commenting on the situation at this time.”
Throughout this entire process, Horner has remained adamant that he did nothing wrong. “Some allegations have been made which I fully deny and I comply, obviously, with that process and will continue to do so,” Horner said. “I think it’s been very clear and the position of Red Bull has been that it’s business as normal. Obviously there’s a job to do and I deny fully the accusations that have been made. My role obviously continues.”
We’ll have more on this investigation soon, so sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford motorsports news and continuous Ford news coverage.
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