Zak Brown: 'We need to handle the Horner case swiftly'

On the second day of F1 testing in Bahrain, it is time for the press conference with a number of team principals. With Christian Horner as one of the attendees, it cannot help but be that journalists will be asking questions about the internal independent investigation Red Bull have launched.

Brown takes Horner's investigation very seriously

Horner himself said he could not and would not comment on the internal investigation in the press conference. McLaren's CEO, Zak Brown, on the other hand, did respond at length. "Well the allegations are extremely serious. McLaren hold themselves and all the men and women of McLaren to the highest standards, obviously, but diversity and equality and inclusion are extremely important to us, our partners, to everyone in Formula 1. Red Bull Corporation it appears have launched an investigation and all we hope and assume is that it will be handled in a very transparent way."

Brown was referring to the statements by the FIA and Formula 1. "As FIA and Formula 1 have said, we need to handle it swiftly because I don't believe these are the type of headlines that Formula 1 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 and no doubt whatsoever that it's been handled appropriately. And whatever the conclusion is, that that conclusion is handled in an appropriate, transparent manner."