Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to face hearing on Friday

Sources indicated the hearing would be at the team's Milton Keynes factory.

There was no official confirmation from the reigning world champions or the Austrian energy drink giant that owns the team as well as sister outfit Visa Cash App RB (previously AlphaTauri).

Red Bull Racing are due to launch their new car on February 15th, with testing starting in Bahrain on February 21st and the opening race on March 2nd. The team have so far made no public comment on the allegations.

The BBC said it understood the complaint related to "inappropriate behaviour of a controlling nature".

Horner, who is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, has been quoted by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf saying he completely denies the allegations.

Red Bull Austria said in a statement on Monday that they were investigating a complaint against Horner, without giving details.

"After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation," it said.

"This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible.

"It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time."

Horner and his team celebrated the most dominant season in Formula One history last year, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen taking his third title in a row and Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races.

The Briton is the longest-serving team boss in Formula One and was by far the youngest when he led Red Bull into the sport in 2005.

Under him, the team have won six constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles and are favourites for another season of domination.

Should Horner have to stand down, the effect on the sport would be seismic.

Red Bull's other main man in the paddock is Austrian motorsport consultant and former racer Helmut Marko, who is now 80 years old, not a team employee and not believed to have any leadership ambitions.

Marko has also been controversial, receiving a written warning from the sport's governing body last September after he blamed the patchy form of the team's Mexican driver Sergio Perez on his ethnicity.

There have been reports of friction between Horner and Marko since the death in October 2022 of Red Bull's Austrian co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the arrival of new leadership at the energy drink brand.