A look inside Horner’s four-week battle for his career, from 8 hours of grilling to Geri’s pain
F1 BOSS Christian Horner has been cleared of sending inappropriate messages to a female employee, but the story could be far from over.
The Red Bull team boss must now try to rebuild his crisis-hit team after three tumultuous weeks spent fighting for his career.
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On February 5, it was revealed that Horner, 50, was the subject of a formal complaint from a female colleague for controlling and coercive behavior, with the investigation later said to involve him sending inappropriate messages to a woman.
He strongly denied the bomb claims.
After a grueling three-week internal investigation, he was cleared of any wrongdoing yesterday and it was confirmed he would keep his £8million-a-year job.
A source told The Sun last night: “Christian’s career, his marriage and his reputation were attacked but there are now no questions about his character.
Read more about Christian Horner
“There is no shadow. But questions are being asked about how this happened, why it happened and who was responsible.”
The former driver returned to the track for the first time today – smiling and with a big task ahead of him.
He must now repair the damage and provide assurance that his relationship with Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen, 26, remains strong enough to win a fourth consecutive drivers’ title.
Some insiders believe that the relationship between Horner and Verstappen is sufficiently healthy. The times reports, despite the young driver choosing not to publicly support his boss yesterday.
When asked during a press conference whether he fully supported Horner, Verstappen said: “Well, I trust the process, that’s what’s happening now. I don’t want to comment on that.
“Because it’s not my business and I don’t want to be involved. But as a team we do trust that process and we just have to be patient, because there is no need to start saying things, shouting things out. loud. You have to have patience.’
Verstappen’s father, Jos, a former racing driver, is reportedly a friend of the female complainant, who was still working at Red Bull’s headquarters in Milton Keynes on Monday.
Horner flew to Bahrain yesterday – accompanied by a senior advisor to the team, Helmut Marko – ahead of the opening of the F1 season race on Saturday, where Verstappen hopes to lead the team to victory.
The Red Bull boss told Sky Sports in Bahrain this morning: “I’m just happy the process is over.
“I am here now very much to concentrate on the coming season and to defend both our titles.
He added that the team’s unity “has never been stronger.”
There is confidence in the Red Bull camp that Horner’s position is safe, even if the female complainant appeals the decision – which she has the right to do.
A spokesperson for Red Bull GmbH said: “The independent investigation into the allegations against Mr Horner has been completed and Red Bull can confirm that the complaint has been dismissed.
“Red Bull is confident that the investigation was fair, rigorous and impartial. The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore, out of respect for everyone, we will not be commenting further. Worried.”
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The King’s Counsel’s report, which dismissed the complaint, runs to approximately 150 pages and was based on 60 hours of research. Job interviews with Horner and other staff members.
Horner himself had to worry about the claims for eight hours.
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, 51, was said to be “relieved and delighted” last night as her F1 boss husband was cleared of wrongdoing.
She had firmly supported Horner, whom she married in 2015, from the moment the claims against him were made public.
A source said: “These have been weeks of hell for Christian and his family.
“As he has said all along, these claims are ‘crazy.’
‘An extensive investigation has been carried out and the allegations have been found to be nonsense.
“Geri stands firmly behind Christian – and his entire family is relieved and elated that it is over. Those feelings are there, but no one around him feels like celebrating much after what he has been through.
“For now, his focus is completely on winning races again.”
The former pop star was reportedly left “in tears” when the scandal broke earlier this month and was supported by friends including her fellow Spice Girls.
I’m just glad the process is over. I am here now very much to concentrate on the coming season and to defend both our titles
Christian Hoorner
This weekend she can join her husband in Bahrain.
What lies ahead for Horner’s career remains unclear. Some are reportedly dissatisfied with the lack of transparency in the investigation and others are relieved to hear that he has been acquitted.
The team boss’s position has become more uncertain since his ally and Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz died in October 2022.
Horner has reportedly managed to retain the support of Chalerm Yoovidhya, who controls 51 percent of Red Bull and is the eldest son of Chaleo, the Thai businessman who co-founded Red Bull in 1984.
But not everyone feels warmly towards him and, at the initiative of Red Bull Austria, there have been discussions about a possible realignment of the future.
The possibility of this was dismissed last night – at least in the short term – by sources who insisted Horner would remain both team boss and CEO of the all-conquering F1 team.
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What was claimed?
F1 was rocked earlier this month by the sudden news that the sport’s longest-serving team boss had been put under investigation by Red Bull’s Austrian-based parent company.
This was thought to be about a ‘file containing incriminating material’ about ‘inappropriate and controlling behaviour’ towards a woman, The Telegraph reported.
Red Bull’s Austrian parent company sent an independent lawyer to Britain to question the multimillionaire and his accuser.
The former driver, who leads the all-conquering Red Bull team of world champion Max Verstappen, had to worry about the claims for eight hours.
However, more accusations have recently emerged The Telegraph reported that Horner had allegedly sent inappropriate messages to his employee “over an extended period of time.”
It was claimed that messages were stored and presented as evidence to the outside lawyer leading the investigation after the woman filed a complaint last December.
Mr Horner categorically denied the new allegations and would take legal action against De Telegraaf.
The investigation raised the question of who could take over the helm of world champion Max Verstappen’s all-conquering racing team.
His wife Geri Halliwell is also said to be “terrified that her life would unravel” amid Horner’s investigation into “inappropriate behaviour”.
The ex-Spice Girl, who “burst into tears” when the Red Bull boss was hit with the allegations, feared the drama would drag on for years, a source claimed.
But Geri, 51, stood by her husband.
She told friends: “Christian did nothing wrong.”
Horner has had an enormous period of success for the racing team: he won several F1 championships with Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen.
Red Bull has won seven Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championships and six Constructors’ World Championships under Horner’s leadership.
Last season the team won 21 of the 22 races on the global F1 tour, with 26-year-old Verstappen winning the drivers’ crown.
Horner received a CBE for services to motorsport in the 2024 New Year’s Honors List.