Horner cleared of inappropriate behaviour by Red Bull

Christian Horner will continue as Red Bull's team principal after being cleared of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague.

An internal investigation took place after a complaint was made against the 50-year-old but the case has now been dismissed by the Formula 1 team's parent company Red Bull GmbH.

A spokesperson said: "The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete and Red Bull can confirm the grievance has been dismissed.

"The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident 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.

"Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards."

Throughout the eight-week investigation, Horner continually denied any wrongdoing and was not suspended from his duties.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton weighed in on the incident ahead of the opening race of the season in Bahrain this weekend and preached safety and inclusivity to the media.

The Mercedes driver said: "It is a really important moment to make sure we stand true to our values.

"We always have to do more to try to make the sport and the environment people work in feel safe and inclusive and any allegations have to be taken very seriously.

"It will be really interesting to see how it is dealt with and the effect it may well have on the sport."

Horner has been in charge of Red Bull since 2005 and delivered a huge amount of success across nearly 20 years.

He will aim to mastermind a fourth consecutive World Championship for Dutch sensation Max Verstappen this season.