New video shows embattled Christian Horner and wife Geri Halliwell deep in conversation with Flavio Briatore in Bahrain as Red Bull chief fights text scandal

New footage has emerged of under-pressure Red Bull boss Christian Horner and his wife Geri Halliwell in a serious conversation with Flavio Briatore during last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

The couple were the center of attention at the opening race of the Formula 1 season and put on a show of unity for the cameras.

Horner was cleared last week by an internal Red Bull report following allegations of ‘coercive behavior’ towards a female colleague.

But then photos emerged in an anonymous email sent to 149 figures within the sport, revealing sexually suggestive WhatsApp messages to the complainant.

Among the recipients were FIA ​​president Mohammad bin Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

The couple presented a united front in front of the cameras this weekend following allegations that Horner sent sexually suggestive WhatsApp messages to a female colleague

The couple watched the podium celebrations together after Max Verstappen won the race

Halliwell kisses her husband on Saturday afternoon before the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix

Briatore, the former Benetton F1 team chief, greets Red Bull driver Sergio Perez at the Bahrain circuit on Saturday

The clip, posted on Saturday by the Turkish motorsport journalist Cihangir Perperikshowed Horner and his wife appearing to have a serious conversation with Briatore and a Red Bull staffer at the track.

Italian businessman Briatore, 73, was managing director of the Benetton Formula 1 team in the 1990s when a young Michael Schumacher won two world titles with them.

He later became team boss of Renault F1 after they took over Benetton in 2000. Fernando Alonso won the Drivers’ Championship with the team in 2005 and 2006.

Briatore is no stranger to controversy within the sport.

He was forced to resign from Renault due to his involvement in a race-fixing scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix and was banned by the FIA ​​– a punishment that was later overturned.

The incident in question occurred when Nelson Piquet Jr.’s Renault car. crashed during the Singapore race in September 2008. It was claimed that he deliberately crashed the car to help teammate Alonso win the race.

An FIA investigation led to Renault being charged with conspiracy and race-fixing, with Piquet Jr. claimed Briatore and Renault chief engineer Pat Symonds asked him to crash.

Briatore and Symonds left the team five days later, with the Italian saying he left ‘to save the team’.

The FIA ​​banned Briatore from all their events, with the Renault team placed on two years’ probation.

Briatore later sued the FIA ​​in the French courts to clear his name and succeeded in January 2010, being awarded 15,000 euros in damages. Both parties later reached an amicable settlement.

Briatore was also briefly co-owner of Queens Park Rangers Football Club, but he resigned after the English Football League requested the findings of the FIA ​​investigation into the race-fixing affair.

Red Bull chief Horner insisted throughout the weekend in Bahrain that his “focus is very much on what’s happening on track”, without commenting on the alleged messages.

The Mail reported on Sunday evening that Halliwell has demanded Horner cut ties with the female colleague to whom he is accused of sending the racy messages.

The former Spice Girl, who has firmly supported her embattled partner so far, is said to have set ‘strict ground rules’ for the Red Bull boss after he was cleared of inappropriate behaviour.

Halliwell, 51, is said to have ‘read her husband the riot act’ before performing a show of unity with him in front of the cameras at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, including kissing him before Max Verstappen claimed victory for Red Bull.

Horner celebrated after reigning champion Max Verstappen claimed victory in the season-opening race on Saturday.

Briatore is pictured speaking with Max Verstappen and Horner during the Qatar Grand Prix last year

Verstappen and Horner (right) both celebrated the Dutchman’s victory in Bahrain

Jos Verstappen (right) claims Red Bull will ‘explode’ if Christian Horner stays with the team

He was also seen standing next to his partner Halliwell to watch the stage celebrations, having previously kissed in full view of the cameras.

But some are calling for Horner to vacate his position, including Jos Verstappen – father of three-time world champion Max – who said the Milton Keynes racing team would ‘explode’ if he remains in the lead.

“There is tension here as he (Horner) stays in position,” he told Mail Sport exclusively.

‘The team is in danger of being torn apart. It cannot continue as it is. It will explode. He plays the victim, while he is the one causing the problems.’

FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the unrest ‘damages the sport on a human level’

Rival Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the matter should be taken out of Red Bull’s hands

Toto Wolff also spoke out about the situation, calling on Formula 1’s governing body to ‘set the compass straight’.

Wolff said: “Let’s see where things go in the next few days. I sincerely hope that the governing body and the holder of the commercial rights will set the compass on the right track.

But at the moment I’m left wondering how this has been handled, I’m probably not doing the whole thing any favors as it could be seen as a power struggle within F1.

‘That’s why it shouldn’t be in the hands of the teams (Red Bull). It’s a much bigger subject than that and I don’t want to trivialize the whole situation by making it look like the Mercedes guy is talking about the Red Bull guys.”

Ben Sulayem told the Financial Times that the unrest is “harming the sport on a human level.”

Domenicali, meanwhile, has not commented directly on the matter at all and has maintained a low profile in Bahrain.

Mail Sport also revealed that FIA president Ben Sulayem told Max Verstappen to back Horner in a guarded conversation after qualifying in Bahrain on Friday.

Max Verstappen (right) spoke to FIA president Mohammad Ben Sulayem (left) after qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix

The FIA ​​boss is said to have begged Verstappen to support his team boss Christian Horner

The three-time world champion, who took pole and went on to win the race in Bahrain, was seen chatting with motorsport’s top figure at the parc ferme. Both men hid what they were saying behind their hands.

But according to an observer close by, Ben Sulayem told Verstappen: “You have to publicly support Christian.”

Another source says that Verstappen was not completely convinced of the advice. The Dutchman was ambiguous when asked about Horner at the post-match press conference.