HORNER OK FOR NEW F1 SEASON

CHRISTIAN HORNER is free to spearhead Red Bull’s title defence after he was cleared of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ allegations on the eve of the new Formula One season.

F1’s longest-serving team boss (left) will be present on the pit wall when Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez go in Saturday’s season curtain-raiser in Bahrain.

The team principal’s position had been under threat after complaints from an unnamed female employee, which Horner vigourously denied, sparked a three-week internal investigation. The probe by an external barrister continued in the background as Horner appeared at the RB20 car launch, and then in the Red Bull garage during pre-season testing.

And Red Bull’s parent company in Austria yesterday confirmed the 50-year-old had been cleared of any wrongdoing.

The company said Horner would remain in post for this weekend’s season opener, and that the female employee had a right of appeal.

Red Bull enjoyed an outstanding pre-season test in Bahrain last week when their revolutionary new challenger hit the track.

Dutchman Verstappen ended day one of that test more than a second ahead of the rest of the field.

The reigning drivers’ champion touched on the impact of the Horner saga yesterday, noting: “He is very important otherwise he wouldn’t have been in that position for such a long time.

“If your team boss disappears for one or two races, for whatever reason, not much is going to happen because everybody is in their role.

“Then things will start to be different if one of the leaders is not there any more, but we are not thinking like that.”