‘Not the headlines F1 needs’ - Zak Brown’s verdict on Christian Horner controversy

McLaren CEO Zak Brown says the controversy surrounding Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is not the “type of headlines that F1 wants or needs”.

Horner is the subject of an internal investigation by Red Bull’s parent company after allegations of inappropriate and controlling behaviour were made by a female colleague.

The 50-year-old Briton has denied the claims and remains in his post, having travelled to Bahrain to attend F1 pre-season testing.

Brown was the latest rival F1 team boss to weigh in on the situation during Thursday’s press conference, saying: “the allegations are extremely serious.

“McLaren holds themselves and all the men and women at McLaren to the highest standards.

“Obviously, diversity and equality and inclusion are extremely important to us, our partners, to everyone in Formula One.

“Red Bull Corporation, it appears, has launched an investigation.

“And all we hope and assume is that will be handled in a very transparent way, as FIA and Formula One has said, it needs to be handled it swiftly, because I don’t believe these are the type of headlines that Formula One wants or needs at this time.

“And I just think it’s important that it’s handled in a transparent way in which there’s no doubt, no doubt whatsoever that it’s been handled appropriately and whatever the conclusion is that that conclusion is handled in an appropriate transparent manner.”

Horner, who was sat alongside Brown in the press conference, refused to comment on the ongoing investigation.

“There is a process underway and since I am part of it, I cannot comment on it,” he said. “We hope there is a resolution as soon as possible.”

Horner added: “I’m really sorry but I really can’t comment on the process or the time scale.

“I think obviously everybody would like a conclusion as soon as possible but I’m really not at liberty to comment about the process.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called for transparency as he became the first senior figure to address the investigation into Horner.

"If it is done in the right way with transparency and rigour, we need to look at the outcomes and what it means for F1 and how we can learn from that," he said on Wednesday.

"We want to talk about sport rather than these kind of very, very critical topics."