Ricciardo 'feels' for Horner amid Red Bull investigation

Daniel Ricciardo “feels” for Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner and hopes the ongoing investigation into the 50-year-old will provide a fair outcome.

Horner was placed under investigation after allegations were made against him by a Red Bull employee, with the inquiry hanging over the launch of Red Bull's RB20 as well as pre-season testing in Bahrain last week.

The ongoing matter prompted frustration from Ford, Red Bull Powertrains' prospective partner for 2026, who wrote a letter calling for a quick resolution to the situation.

It is expected that an announcement into the investigation will be made prior to on-track action commencing at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Thursday.

Ricciardo's verdict

Addressing the investigation, Ricciardo told media including RacingNews365: “Coming into the test, obviously we were aware of everything going on.

“But would I say was it an on-track distraction? No, it wasn’t. Knowing we have so little time as well, it was really 'I need to focus on me, my team, my driving' and trying to start this week as strongly as possible.

“Do I feel for him through all of this? Yes, I've known Christian for a long time.

“He's always been great with me. So I do hope that there is a fair outcome and resolution soon, hopefully before this weekend, so it's not really a distraction for him or obviously anyone in the team.

“But honestly, for us, we've had to really just focus on ourselves and trying to get on with the task.”