SAKHIR – Zak Brown and Toto Wolff, the team bosses of McLaren and Mercedes respectively, have called on Formula One’s governing body FIA to push Red Bull for greater transparency after an investigation cleared Christian Horner of misconduct towards a female colleague.

Red Bull’s parent company in Austria announced in a statement on Feb 28 that the grievance against their team principal Horner, who had denied the allegations, was dismissed after a lengthy independent investigation.

Red Bull, who have won the last two constructors’ championships, have declared that the investigation had been fair and impartial but that it will remain confidential in order to protect the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the probe.

Brown, however, did not agree. “I think the sanctioning body has a responsibility and authority to our sport, to our fans,” he said in a press conference on Feb 29 ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2.

“So they need to make sure that things have been fully transparent with them.

“That’s what’s needed by those who run the sport to be really able to draw a line under it.

“Until then, I think there will continue to be some level of speculation by people and I don’t think that’s healthy for the sport.”

Wolff, whose rivalry with Horner has provided much fodder for the popular Netflix docu-series “Drive To Survive”, also emphasised the need for transparency.

“Eventually, things are going to happen, and I think we have the duty, the organisation has the duty, to say well... we have looked at it, and it’s OK, and then we can move on,” said the Austrian.

Horner met with F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem during third practice of the Bahrain race on March 1. He had earlier spoken to Sky Sports television briefly, as he walked through the Sakhir paddock, and said he was pleased the process was over.

“I obviously can’t comment about it but here, the focus now is on the grand prix and the season ahead and trying to defend both of our titles,” he said, referring also to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen seeking to win his fourth consecutive drivers’ championship.

Horner, who is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, was accused of alleged controlling and improper behaviour by a female Red Bull team member.

He had constantly dismissed those claims and continued to lead the team during the investigation, saying it was “business as normal”.

Key paddock figures and permanently accredited journalists later on Feb 29 received an e-mail from an anonymous sender. It contained a link to material purported to be evidence submitted during the investigation.

“I won’t comment on anonymous speculation,” Horner added, in a subsequent statement.

“But to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations. I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully co-operated with it every step of the way.

“It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister and it has concluded by dismissing the complaint made.

“I remain fully focused on the start of the season. Within the team it (the unity) has never been stronger.”

While Brown and Wolff have insisted on transparency, there were others who also felt similar but at the same time believed that the process of the investigation had been rigorous.

Williams team principal James Vowles said: “I have a responsibility for Williams, and if anything like that happens here, I would want to make sure we properly investigate it and do a robust process that is clear to the outside world what has happened and what we can do to rectify that.

“I trust that Red Bull have done a strong process and we have to in that circumstance.” REUTERS, AFP