Christian Horner under internal investigation for inappropriate behaviour

Christian Horner is currently being investigated by Red Bull in response to an accusation of "inappropriate behaviour".

The allegation is reported to have been made by another member of staff within the British-based Formula One team, which, last year, secured Max Verstappen's third consecutive world championship.

The 50-year-old, who has been Red Bull team principal since 2005, has strongly refuted the accusation. “I completely deny these claims.”

A spokesperson for Red Bull – the Austrian energy drinks company which owns the F1 team – told the PA news agency: “After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.

“This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.

“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”

Horner has served as the team principal at Red Bull since their inception into F1 19 years ago, overseeing seven drivers' world championships and six constructors' titles.

In the previous year, Red Bull triumphed in 21 out of the 22 rounds, with Verstappen establishing a record of 10 consecutive victories on his way to securing his third title in as many years.

Horner, married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, received a CBE in the New Year Honours List for his contributions to motorsport.

Red Bull is set to unveil their latest car on February 15 in preparation for the upcoming season, commencing in Bahrain on March 2.