On 5 February, all hell broke loose for Christian Horner after an employee from the company made some serious allegations against the Red Bull F1 team principal. The employee, who The Times revealed to be a female colleague, raised concerns about 'inappropriate and controlling behaviour' from Horner.
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The report was initially published by a Dutch newspaper called De Telegraaf, but naturally the news spread like wildfire and in the days that followed and an independent investigation was launched by Red Bull Gmbh. They said at the time:
After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.
This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible.
Details of the allegations have not been revealed, however Horner has been vehemently denying them. Moreover, he's had the support of his wife Geri Halliwell, a former member of the Spice Girls who he has been married to for almost a decade and shares a 7-year-old son with.
Christian Horner was exonerated
On February 28, things were looking up for the couple as the independent investigation cleared Horner of all the allegations. A statement from Red Bull GmbH said that they can confirm that the 'grievance has been dismissed' and that they are 'confident' the investigation was 'fair, rigorous, and impartial.' They added that details of the investigation will be kept confidential.
The news came as a huge relief to Horner and Halliwell, and a source close to the family was quick to reveal to The Sun that:
Geri has been rock solid behind Christian - and his whole family is relieved and elated that it's over.
Unfortunately for them, the controversy was far from over...
Leaked messages between Horner and complainant
A mere hours after being in the clear, an anonymous source leaked what they claim to be WhatsApp texts and pictures between the female colleague and Horner. According to BBC, the 'proof', which remains unverified, was sent to 149 people including top-tier stakeholders in F1, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile—which governs and organises major sporting events, other team principals, and members of the media.
This happened the same day Horner flew to Bahrain for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, that will kick off on 2 March.
The leaked content has not yet been publicised and media such as The Independent and Fortune have stated that while they have seen it they are unable to corroborate it at the moment.
Following the leaked messages, Horner issued a statement saying:
I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations.
'This will destroy' Geri Halliwell
This unexpected turn will most definitely cast a dark shadow over for the upcoming Grand Prix for Horner and Red Bull, but also Geri Halliwell who was expected to be joining him for the event.Daily Mail reveals that now it will be 'highly unlikely'that she joins her husband in Bahrain in light of the current situation.
Undisclosed sources have also told the publication that the leaks 'destroy' Halliwell, who has so far been Horner's rock.
Now it has all come crashing down. The tears stopped when the judgment came in on Wednesday, now they absolutely will have started again.
This will destroy her. All along Christian promised there was nothing in it.
Geri Halliwell has not issued any statements on the new development herself and it will be seen on Saturday whether she will choose to stand by his side once again.
Read more:
⋙ Spice Girls' Geri Halliwell once breached Royal protocol when she met King Charles, here's how
⋙ Spice Girls documentary: This is the real reason Geri Halliwell quit the Spice Girls
Sources used:
The Independant: Christian Horner allegations timeline: How Red Bull team principal became embroiled in scandal
The Daily Mail: EXCLUSIVE: Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner's marriage 'now in question for the first time' friends reveal after humiliating 'text leaks' mean she is 'highly unlikely' to join F1 boss husband in Bahrain
Fortune: Christian Horner denies allegations of misconduct after trove of leaked nudes and illicit texts emerge just 36 hours before F1’s opening race
BBC: Christian Horner: Red Bull team principal denies claims again after alleged messages leak
The Guardian: Christian Horner back in eye of F1 storm after email leaks alleged messages
