Christian Horner is set to stay at Red Bull unless any 'startling new evidence' comes to light, according to reports.
The 50-year-old was recently cleared of misconduct, with the F1 side saying in a statement: "The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.
"The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial.
"The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned.
Christian Horner will reportedly remain Red Bull team principal unless any 'startling new evidence' emerges
GETTY
"Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards."
After Horner was cleared, however, alleged text and WhatsApp messages were leaked.
It has been claimed the 50-year-old sent messages to a female employee, with Horner continuing to deny the allegations.
And the Daily Mail say that, unless any 'startling new evidence' emerges, Horner is set to remain in his position.
The 50-year-old said last weekend that he was 'absolutely' sure he'd remain team principal between now and the end of the season.
Yet while Horner is set to stay, it'll be intriguing to see what that means for the future of star driver Max Verstappen.
Verstappen's father, Jos, opted to publicly criticise Horner after the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday.
He accused the Briton of 'playing the victim' and said Red Bull could 'explode' if Horner continued in his role.
It has been reported that Jos has told close friends his son will leave Red Bull 'if he has to'.
Verstappen was asked about Horner on Wednesday and, when quizzed specifically on his father's comments, said: "I have not asked him that but my dad, from how I know him in go-karting, is very outspoken and he is not a liar, that is for sure.
"My dad and I are very close. We call every day."
Verstappen also refused to rule out a controversial move to Mercedes, too.
The Silver Arrows have a vacancy for 2025 with Lewis Hamilton recently confirming his blockbuster move to Ferrari.
When asked if he could ever see himself at Mercedes, Verstappen said: “The thing is nobody would have ever seen that Lewis [Hamilton] would move to Ferrari.
“That’s not related to F1, it’s just general life. You never know what happens around you or what might influence you. You can never say 100 per cent what is going to be.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Red Bull recently cleared Christian Horner of misconduct with the Briton always denying the allegations against him
GETTY
“But I also don’t think about it too much - I’m very relaxed.
"I’m very happy with the team, the performance is there, there is no reason to leave.”
The report says Verstappen wants 'calm'. Jos is said to respect the wishes of his son.
But the Dutchman reportedly 'hates' Horner and his son's long-term future remains up in the air.
Meanwhile, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he wants the Horner situation to be 'smoother' and praised Red Bull for the way they put the case aside to enjoy success in Bahrain last weekend.
Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull is shrouded in uncertainty amid the ongoing Christian Horner situation
GETTY
"You want things to be smoother than they are, of course," he told RTBF Sport.
"Right now, there is a lot of noise and distraction, no doubt.
"Look, the way they [Red Bull] performed last week, you'd think [nothing was wrong].
"For them to be able to still focus on business on track, that is also a big strength of theirs so hopefully these things start to slowly go away and they can just focus on being a race team.
"For the drivers as well it is not always easy but they did a good job in handling this."
