The parent company of Red Bull announced on February 5th that it is investigating allegations of misconduct regarding a team employee. Team principal Christian Horner denies any wrongdoing and continues to work. The deadline for the completion of the investigation has not been disclosed.
During the second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Horner stated, “Everyone wants a quick resolution, but I cannot comment on the process.” The first race is scheduled for next week.
Both Formula 1 (F1) and the governing body FIA have issued statements calling for a swift resolution to the investigation. McLaren CEO Zak Brown expressed his hope for a transparent handling of the investigation, echoing a similar sentiment to Mercedes’ Toto Wolff the previous day.
On the track, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. set the fastest time, surpassing Red Bull’s Sergio Perez by 0.758 seconds, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in third. This marked Hamilton’s first official F1 event for Mercedes since his move to Ferrari for the upcoming season was announced. He will replace Sainz in the Italian team.
Each team can only have one driver on the track per testing session. Defending champion Max Verstappen, who was fastest on Wednesday, did not drive for Red Bull on Thursday.
The morning testing session was interrupted after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Hamilton ran over a loose drain cover on a curb. This caused debris to scatter on the track, leading to an inspection.
Due to the shortened session time, Perez’s track time was affected. As a result, Red Bull adjusted their plans and allowed him to also drive in the evening session.
The third and final day of testing will take place on Friday before the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is scheduled to be the season opener next week at the same venue.
