Sebastian Vettel agrees with Lewis Hamilton amid Christian Horner controversy

Sebastian Vettel has called for the ongoing controversy surrounding Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner to be handled with “more transparency.”

Vettel, who retired from F1 at the end of the 2022 season, won all four of his world championships with the Red Bull team led by Horner between 2010 and 2013.

He has joined fellow multiple world champion Lewis Hamilton in urging more transparency in the sport.

"Obviously there's been a lot of talk since the beginning of the year. I think with these things, it's always difficult to know everything,” Vettel told Sky News.

"It would be nice if there was simply more transparency so that you could have more of an opinion. I think it's always difficult if you read one thing, then another thing and then the opposite. Now, things are going around in circles.

“The shame is that obviously Max [Verstappen] is doing a great job. The team, a lot of individuals that I remember from my time there, are doing a great job in the background and that’s sort of forgotten when the subject hovers around something else.”

Horner was cleared of misconduct by a Red Bull investigation into claims of inappropriate and controlling behaviour that were made by a now-suspended female colleague.

The woman is believed to be appealing Red Bull’s verdict and has been left “upset, scared and lonely”, according to a family friend.

Vettel believes F1 remains an “old-fashioned business in many ways”, but is pleased to see progress when it comes to female representation within the championship.

"F1 is changing but it’s an old-fashioned business in many ways,” he added. 

"So first of all, there weren't many women [employed within the sport] you know, the numbers were going up.

"So between when I started and when I left, there were a lot more women in the paddock and a lot more women not just following the sport, but also working in the sport.

"So I think that's a positive change. But I think really, like everywhere else, there's still room for improvement."