But documents leaked in Bahrain containing messages supposedly sent from the 50-year-old has brought the matter back to the surface.
While the team have continued where they left off in 2023 with two wins in the opening two rounds of 2024, Red Bull have been in turmoil off the track, with Horner’s accuser being suspended, rumours that Helmut Marko would face the same fate – which have since been played down – and Horner constantly getting grilled by the media.
The situation surrounding Christian Horner has out Red Bull in turmoilMax Verstappen has been linked with Mercedes
Wolff hints Newey could follow Verstappen to Mercedes
Another key figure linked with a move away from the team is star driver Max Verstappen, and following his father Jos Verstappen’s falling out with Horner and the Dutchman himself hinting that he will leave the team if Marko does, he has become a prime target for Mercedes.
And speaking with German publication oe24, team principal Toto Wolff has hinted that Red Bull chief engineer Adrian Newey could follow Verstappen to the silver arrows.
When asked if this was even conceivable, Wolff said: “Everything is always possible in this crazy carousel, I wouldn't rule anything out.
“But we have an excellent team of technicians with whom I feel comfortable and 100 percent correctly positioned, even if the lap time doesn't reflect that at the moment.”
Newey has been with the Milton Keynes squad since 2006 when Red Bull was just a midfield team.
He has overseen the design of the cars that achieved the team’s first win in the sport in 2009 and subsequent seven drivers’ world titles and six constructors’ championships.