The sport's governing body did not address the specifics of the matter, but made it clear that it was committed to the “highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity within sport.”
The statement comes two weeks after news of an internal investigation was first reported by the media.
Initial reports revealed that Horner was the subject of an investigation by Austrian parent company Red Bull GMbH after unspecified allegations of misconduct were made against a female employee, with the team boss denying any wrongdoing.
The investigation focused on an interview conducted on behalf of Red Bull by an independent lawyer on February 9th. Horner then appeared at the launch of the new RB20 in Milton Keynes on February 15th.
The day after publication, further media speculation about the nature of the allegations shed new light on the matter and subsequently triggered reactions from the sport's two key stakeholders.
In a statement to Motorsport.com on Monday, the FIA said: “Regarding the independent investigation currently being carried out by Red Bull GMbH, the FIA reiterates that we will do so until the investigation is complete and the outcome is known .” will not comment further.
“The FIA remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity in sport.”
The FIA's position is also enshrined in Article 12.2.1f of the International Sports Code, which lists as a potential criminal offense “any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral harm or damage to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its officers”. and more generally on the interest of motorsport and the values represented by the FIA.”
Christian Horner, team boss, Red Bull Racing, and Mohammed bin Sulayem, President of the FIA, chat in the pit lane
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
As previously reported on Sunday evening, Formula 1 made its first comment on the matter, indicating that it wants a resolution soon.
“We have noted that Red Bull has launched an independent investigation into the internal allegations at Red Bull Racing,” it said in a statement.
“We hope that the matter will be resolved as quickly as possible following a fair and thorough process and will have no further comment at this time.”
F1's statement in turn followed earlier comments from Ford, the company working with Red Bull Powertrains to develop a new engine for the Red Bull and RB teams in 2026.
In the first comment from a Red Bull partner on the matter, Mark Rushbrook, global head of Ford Performance Motorsport, said the manufacturer was monitoring the situation.
“As a family business and as a company that holds itself to very high standards of conduct and integrity, we expect the same from our partners,” Rushbrook told the AP.
“It seems to us, and from what we have been told, that Red Bull is taking the situation very seriously. And of course they’re also worried about their brand.”
“And that's why they conducted an independent investigation and until we see what truth comes out of it, it's too early for us to comment on anything.”
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