Max Verstappen wants the Christian Horner saga at Red Bull to be resolved 'very soon' as the new F1 season draws ever closer.
The Dutch star is aiming to win a fourth successive World Driver's Championship this year but his team's preparations have been under a cloud.
Horner has been under investigation for alleged inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague, claims that he strenuously denies.
The 50-year-old has continued to work as usual in recent weeks and has spoken publicly twice at Red Bull's car launch and at testing last week.
Max Verstappen has called for Red Bull to make an announcement on Christian Horner
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Red Bull have faced calls from Ford, who will supply their engines from 2026, to give a 'prompt' answer to the investigation.
Horner is flying into Bahrain on Wednesday ahead of the first practice sessions of the season on Thursday.
The investigation is said to be complete and Red Bull bosses are reviewing a report well in excess of 100 pages in Austria.
An outcome of the findings is expected to be made public on Wednesday, with Horner still in the dark about his fate.
Verstappen held a press conference this afternoon alongside fellow drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz.
He rejected claims that the Horner saga has affected him, insisting he has been focusing on his own job.
But Verstappen did call for a resolution to the matter to be announced quickly.
He said: "It doesn't [affect me]. I'm very focused on just the performance of the car myself and hopefully it will just be resolved very soon."
Verstappen then called for the Red Bull team to stick together during this time before again calling for a quick end to the matter.
He said: "Yeah it's a whole team effort, everyone has to stick together and work towards more success.
"That's why it's very important of course to get everything resolved very soon."
Verstappen is again the overwhelming favourite to win the 2024 Driver's Championship.
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Max Verstappen is hoping to win a fourth successive F1 title
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But he insists there is still doubt over how fast his Red Bull will be this year.
Asked about the potential threat from his rivals, Verstappen said: "Time will tell if they are fast enough or not.
"I also don't know if we are fast enough. Bahrain is one particular track, there are a lot of different tracks on the calendar where you have to perform.
"I think in general it is better not to think about it. And just wake up, get to the track, you see the result.
Christian Horner has continued as normal in recent weeks at Red Bull
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"If it's good or bad, it's not going to change anything. So that's how I approach it. But we'll see."
Action in Bahrain will start a day earlier than usual, with practice on Thursday and qualifying on Friday.
The Grand Prix will take place on Saturday afternoon, with lights out at 3pm.
