DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Pink Bull future engine provider Ford Motor Co. mentioned Friday it’s awaiting the outcomes of an investigation into alleged inappropriate habits by staff principal Christian Horner, however a prime govt pressured that Ford holds its firm and companions to very excessive ethical requirements.
Ford is slated to change into Pink Bull’s engine provider in 2026 and is the primary of Pink Bull’s current companions to touch upon the controversy surrounding Horner. The staff chief has remained defiant in his denial of claims of misconduct made to mother or father firm Pink Bull, which two weeks in the past introduced it had launched an impartial investigation into the claims.
Mark Rushbrook, world head of Ford Efficiency Motorsport, mentioned Friday at Daytona Worldwide Speedway that Ford is awaiting the result of the investigation into Horner.
“As a household firm, and an organization that holds itself to very excessive requirements of habits and integrity, we do anticipate the identical from our companions,” Rushbrook mentioned. “It seems to us, and what we have been advised, was that Pink Bull is taking the scenario very critically. And naturally, they’re nervous about their model, as properly.
“And that is why they have an impartial investigation and till we see what reality comes out of that, it is too early for us to touch upon all of it.”
Horner at some point earlier insisted it was “enterprise as regular” as he took middle stage on the launch of the staff’s automobile for the upcoming System 1 season.
“Clearly, there’s a course of that’s ongoing in the intervening time. Some allegations have been made which I totally deny and I comply, clearly, with that course of and can proceed to take action,” Horner mentioned. “I believe it’s been very clear and the place of Pink Bull has been that it’s enterprise as regular. Clearly there’s a job to do and I deny totally the accusations which were made. My function clearly continues.”
What Horner has been accused of doing by a Pink Bull worker has not been made clear. The investigation was launched by mother or father firm Pink Bull Vitality out of Austria and initially appeared to contain Horner’s “aggressive administration type.”
However within the two weeks since, the F1 business has been rife with gossip, hypothesis and, as of Friday, information experiences indicating Horner’s supposed transgressions contain allegations of sexual misconduct. And, with a lot of the unsubstantiated claims being made to Dutch media retailers, there’s loud chatter that each three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen and his father, Jos, are behind the leaks.
Max Verstappen, who races below the Dutch flag, on the launch on Thursday mentioned his relationship with Horner stays “superb” forward of the brand new season.
“We’ve seen one another fairly a number of occasions. We’ve achieved a number of issues collectively in order that doesn’t change instantly,” he mentioned. “My contact with Christian has been the identical as on the primary day. It’s been like regular.”
The 50-year-old Horner has been Pink Bull’s staff principal because it entered F1 as a full constructor in 2005. He has guided the staff to 6 constructors’ championships and 7 drivers’ championships throughout his time on the prime. Verstappen has gained the drivers’ title in every of the final three seasons. The staff gained all however one of many 22 races final 12 months.
Horner is married since 2015 to Geri Halliwell, higher referred to as Ginger Spice of the feminine pop group The Spice Ladies.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
