David Coulthard believes calls for “transpare💯ncy” over Red Bull’s investigation into Christian Horner is merely “stoking the fires”.

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and McLaren’s Zak Brown were vocal in their demand for g🐲reater clarity surrounding the Red Bull investigation.

But Coulthard - ex-Red Bull driver and currently an ambassador for the brand - has hint🧜ed about an ulterior motive.

“There is a call from t♎hose who want to stoke the fire,” Coulthard told Channel 4 when asked abo💃ut the requests for ‘transparency’.

“There will be those who are look🉐ing for the good of the fanbase, to ask for more 𒁏transparency.

“But it’s a priva💧te matter. We ಌall have a right to privacy.

“If there was a case to 🦂answer, then we’d know about it. It has been dealt with by an independent group.

“Now,ꦡ that will not sa𓄧tisfy those who want more. Those who want to dig deeper.”

Coulthard added: "The sport has never been bigger. With something so big, it me𓆏ans a lot of money, a lot of politics, a lot of controversy…

"I see busine𒁏ss as normal within the race team. Of course, it’s not business as normal when it comes to Christian going into press conferences and being handed the scrutiny that he is under.

"But in terms oཧf how the team go about their operation? How Max and Checo go in the car? They cannot be affected by that.

"You put your visor down and there is nothing else on your🗹 mind apart from driving quickly."

Horner was cle🔯ared of wrongdoing by an independent lawyer🦩 after complaints against him from a Red Bull colleague.

His female accuser has🌟 ♛now been suspended by Red Bull.

The fallout has incluꦛded criticism from Jos Verstappen, which forced Max Verstappen to tread the line carefully between his dad and his boss, before Helmut Marko became embroiled in the situation.

But Coulthard has delivered a reminder that controversies in F1 are nothing new - and transp♌arency has been lacking before𝓡, too.

“If you look up and down the pitlane when Formula 1 was no📖t as popular, there have bee🍸n a number of situations where there hasn’t been transparency,” he said.

“Fer💖rari came to an ꩲagreement with the FIA regarding their fuel flow and their engine. We are still none the wiser as to what that agreement was.

“But it did seem to coincide with them losing their wi🃏nning ways!”

Horner was bullish at last weeken🌜d’s F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in demanding that the media intrusion into his marriage and family stops.

Coulthard﷽ has had his say: “This is unfoꦯrtunate and unsavoury but it has been handled in a way which has brought a conclusion.”

On-track Red Bull’s progress has been faultless. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have finished first and second respectively in each of th𝔉e first two grands prix of 2024.

But the off🥃-track drama has created an unexpected furore over Verstappen’s future.

He is contracted until the end of 2028 but Horner adm🦩itted that he couldn’t be kept aཧgainst his will.

Mercedes boss Wolff has cheekily mentioned bringing Verstappen acrossꦍ to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.

But any noise over the future over car design genius Adrian Newey has been di🎐mmed, after new reports that he is not expected to l𓃲eave Red Bull.