Former F1 star Giedo van der Garde thinks Christian Horner will be absent from the launch of the new Red Bull car next week.
The 50-year-old has been accused of inappropriate behaviour, with a female colleague unhappy at the work Horner operates behind the scenes.
Horner denies any allegations of wrongdoing and some close to the Red Bull chief believe he's the victim of a power struggle within the team.
Red Bull recently confirmed they would be investigating the matter and the veteran will discuss the situation with a lawyer on Friday.
Christian Horner has been predicted to miss next week's Red Bull car launch while the F1 side probe allegations
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Horner hasn't been suspended and is continuing to work among 1,600 employees at Red Bull's headquarters in Milton Keynes.
He is determined to keep his position, having been in charge of the team ever since his appointment in 2005.
But Van der Garde can't see Horner being present when Red Bull show off their new car to the world next Thursday.
Speaking to the DRS De Race Show podcast, he said: "No [I don't think he will be at the launch].
"Horner is being checked out internally by Red Bull.
"Believe me, when that presentation comes next week, Horner will definitely not be there."
Red Bull are being tipped to enjoy yet another stellar year in F1, despite the uncertainty surrounding the team behind the scenes.
They have been dominant over the past three seasons, with Max Verstappen securing a hat-trick of title triumphs.
Top drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been unable to end Red Bull's dominance.
And with the team tweaking away in Bedfordshire, it'll be fascinating to see what improvements they've made to their car as they hunt yet another crown.
Speaking at the end of January, Horner said the vehicle was looking good - and was satisfied they were on course to produce the best model possible.
“I think as far as targets can be, yes," he said when asked if the car had been meeting initial targets.
“We don’t have a lot of preseason testing these days, we’ve got a lot to focus on and to get done, but it’s always a busy time of year in the factory in the planning stage for the season ahead.”
When asked if there had been any stumbling blocks, he continued: “There are always challenges along the way but, if you’re not on the limit, you’re not trying hard enough.”
Horner did insist, however, that the car wouldn't be completely different and fans can expect more of the same.
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Christian Horner has played a key role with Red Bull dominating F1 over the past few years
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“[The sim drivers] are saying it’s evolution, not revolution – it’s a simulator, and still a virtual world,” he explained.
“So, of course, you want a correlation between track and simulator, which has tended to be reasonable over the last couple of years.
“Hopefully, we’re making progress. But the stopwatch never lies and we’ll only see when we get to the track.”
With Verstappen dominating the sport, Horner is also fully aware that it'll be difficult for Red Bull to maintain the same high standards as 12 months ago.
“Only time will tell, I mean, the RB19 is the most successful car in the history of Formula 1, so [RB20] has got big shoes to fill," he continued.
Christian Horner has faith in Red Bull's car for 2024 as launch creeps closer
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“But there are always things that you’re learning in this business.
“RB19 still had elements that we could improve and the team have been working hard to do that and address that over the winter in the design phase.”
