Sebastian Vettel calls for more transparency in Formula One after Christian Horner ‘inappropriate behaviour’ row
5 April 2024, 10:00
Sebastian Vettel has called for "more transparency" in Formula One after Christian Horner was cleared of "inappropriate behaviour" towards a female colleague.
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Vettel told LBC's Nick Ferrari said that it was "very difficult to know exactly what's going on" with the Red Bull boss, who was cleared last month following an internal investigation into his conduct.
The 36-year-old, who won four consecutive World Drivers' Championship titles with Red Bull under Horner, said "more transparency would probably lead to a better conclusion."
"Will they be knocked at all by some of the other stories, the non racing stories that are circulating around him? I don't know. I wish for more transparency.
"That's the only thing really from the outside to wish for. Because otherwise [it's] very difficult to form an opinion if you don't have all the information, but I understand as well that some things you want to keep private because they are private.
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"But obviously if they... become a problem and not right and not fair, not just then they need to come out. So with all the things going on at the minute, it's very difficult to to know exactly what's going on.
Horner later said he wanted to "draw a line" under the allegations against him, after it emerged the Red Bull employee making the accusations against him had been suspended.
He said: "There's been a lot of coverage surrounding this. One has to go back to the basis.
"A grievance was raised, fully investigated and it was dismissed. We move onwards."
Discussing his stint working with Horner at Red Bull, Vettel said: "The time that we had, obviously, it was very successful. We know I think he was very well respected in the garage. He was very approachable.
"Obviously, this is now more than ten years back. And certainly he has developed and progressed in his field.
"Red Bull has grown as a team, there's far more employees, now they're taking on a new project with the powertrains, far more responsibility. Obviously, the success, you know, gives him gives him all the credit.
"And, you know, from a sports point of view, you can only praise what he and what Red Bull has achieved in the in the last couple of years".
Red Bull have won the past two constructors' championships in Formula One in 2022 and 2023.
Vettel retired from Formula One at the end of 2022, but said he might come back in future.
"Have I shut the door?" he said. "I don't know. But maybe I'm leaving it open.
"Obviously, there's things that I missed. There's other things that I don't miss. I didn't retire to come back. But I also said that you never know what's going to happen. So it depends always on how you feel, what the... outlook might be and so on. But at the minute it's not the number one interest."
