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Ford has urged its Formula 1 partner Red Bull to be “transparent” in its investigation into allegations about team principal Christian Horner, with little over two weeks to go until the first race of the grand prix season in Bahrain.
A private letter from the US carmaker to the racing team owner within the past week urged Red Bull to be fully open in its handling of the allegations, according to two people familiar with the contents.
Red Bull has been investigating Horner, who has led the team to multiple championship titles over a two-decade tenure, since personal misconduct allegations emerged earlier this month. The investigation is being led by an external, specialist barrister.
While Ford did not pressure the racing group to come to a particular decision, the carmaker stressed that it expects the investigation to be handled seriously and rapidly.
Ford is planning to re-enter F1 alongside Red Bull from the 2026 season, and the pair have already begun work on batteries and other collaborative projects.
However, the carmaker has the ability to walk away from the partnership if it wants to, according to people familiar with the relationship.
Horner, who is also chief executive of the racing outfit, has denied the allegations. Earlier this week he told Sky Sports that he had not given any thought to temporarily stepping aside from his duties during the investigation.
“No, it’s business as usual,” he said. “There obviously is a process. Obviously, I fully deny any accusations that have been made against me but, of course, I work with that process, which I hope is concluded in the near future.”
On Friday, Ford’s head of global motorsport Mark Rushbrook said: “As a family company that holds itself to very high standards of behaviour and integrity, we expect the same from our partners.”
Red Bull Racing declined to comment. Austrian energy drinks company Red Bull, which owns the team, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The group previously said “it would not be appropriate for us to comment before the investigation is completed”.
Under the deal, Ford would provide hybrid systems and other technical equipment for the cars, while for its own models it would benefit from Red Bull’s expertise in aerodynamics.
It brought Ford back into the sport when hybrid models and battery technology were playing an increasingly important role. When the announcement was made last February, chair Bill Ford said it was “the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story”.
Ford chief executive Jim Farley told the Financial Times last year he also hoped to use Red Bull’s global technical chief Adrian Newey help the carmaker improve the aerodynamics of its upcoming electric vehicles.
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