Red Bull launch F1 car as Christian Horner investigation continues

Formula 1 champions Red Bull have launched their 2024 challenger, overshadowed by an investigation into alleged misconduct by their team principal.

Red Bull launched their new car, the RB20, on Friday morning AEDT — the last team to unveil their contender.

But the shadow of an investigation into alleged workplace misconduct by boss Christian Horner is hampering the start of their campaign.

Red Bull’s drama started earlier this month when reports emerged a female staffer had accused Horner of misconduct in the workplace.

The allegation — which is believed not to be sexual — led to an internal investigation by the team’s parent company.

A meeting was held last week where Horner was reportedly quizzed for eight hours, with a resolution possibly not coming until the season has started.

Despite this, Horner was front and centre of the launch.

The 50-year-old told the BBC the allegations were a distraction to his team and he had the full backing of Red Bull’s ownership.

“Firstly, I obviously deny the allegations that have been made,” Horner said.

“But I’m going through a process and fully respect it.

“Of course it is a distraction for the team but the team are very together.”

Red Bull is coming off one of the most dominant seasons in F1 history.

The team won 21 of the 22 grands prix, with Max Verstappen taking 19 of those victories.

They won the constructors’ championship for a second consecutive season — sixth time in their history — and had their drivers finish first and second in the drivers’ championship for the first time.

Verstappen has won the previous three drivers’ championships, joining a rare club of racers with a trio of F1 world titles.

The new F1 season begins in Bahrain with the first race to be held on March 3 AEDT.