SAKHIR, Bahrain: The president of Formula 1鈥檚 governing body told the Financial Times the controversy around Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is damaging the sport, but that the FIA won鈥檛 conduct its own inquiry unless it receives a complaint.
Ahead of Saturday鈥檚 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Horner arrived at the F1 paddock holding hands with his wife Geri Halliwell, who is better known as Ginger Spice of the pop group the Spice Girls.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said any complaint lodged with its compliance officer would be investigated but it had not received one related to Horner鈥檚 situation and would not 鈥渏ump the gun,鈥� the Financial Times reported.
鈥淚t鈥檚 damaging the sport,鈥� Ben Sulayem told the newspaper, which added that he was speaking Friday after a meeting with Horner. 鈥淭his is damaging on a human level.鈥�
On Wednesday, the team鈥檚 parent company dismissed a complaint of alleged misconduct by Horner toward a team employee. A day later during practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, a file alleged to contain evidence against Horner was emailed to nearly 200 people in the F1 paddock, including Liberty Media, F1, the FIA, the other nine team principals and multiple media outlets.
The authenticity of the files has not been verified by The Associated Press; the file came from a generic email account.
Horner has denied wrongdoing and said in a statement issued Thursday that he would not 鈥渃omment on anonymous speculation.鈥�
Three-time defending champion Max Verstappen said after qualifying on pole position Friday that Horner was 鈥渇ully committed to the team鈥� but that his team principal was also 鈥減robably a little bit distracted.鈥�