Christian Horner is seen for the first time since being cleared of ‘coercive behaviour towards a female employee’ at Red Bull, as he enjoys preparation for the Bahrain Grand Prix – where wife Geri Halliwell could join him

By William On Feb 29, 2024

Christian Horner has been pictured for the first time since he was acquitted of charges of ‘coercive behavior’ against a female colleague.

The Red Bull chief – who earns £8million a year – was the subject of an internal investigation following the allegations, which first surfaced publicly on February 5.

Horner, wife of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, denied all allegations and took his case to a QC, who was appointed as an internal investigator by the reigning world champion team.

News broke on Wednesday that the 50-year-old had been acquitted and would continue in his role.

And on Thursday he was spotted in Bahrain ahead of the first practice session of this weekend’s season-opening Grand Prix.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner has been photographed for the first time since he was acquitted on Wednesday afternoon of accusations of ‘coercive behavior’ against a female colleague

The allegations, which first emerged on February 5, have dominated F1 over the past month

Horner, 50, is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and found out yesterday afternoon that he had been acquitted, meaning he will keep his £8million-a-year job running Red Bull’s F1 team.

Horner was pictured having breakfast before the first practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix

Horner was seen having breakfast with Red Bull chief designer Adrian Newey and appeared cheerful in the Bahrain sunshine.

News that Horner would keep his job electrified a cool, dim paddock in Bahrain on Wednesday.

HORNER PROBE TIMELINE

February 5 – Parent company of Red Bull Racing GmbH confirms that Horner is under investigation after an accusation of ‘inappropriate behaviour’. The company says it ‘takes these matters very seriously and the investigation will be completed as quickly as practicable’.

February 9th – Horner is interrogated by a lawyer for eight hours at a secret location in London. There is no immediate solution.

15 February – Horner appears at Red Bull’s car launch – his first public appearance since news of the allegations emerged. He promises to step into his role as Red Bull team boss for the first race of the season and says: ‘For me it is business as normal.’

February 18 – F1 makes its first public comment on the issue, calling for Horner’s future to be ‘clarified at the earliest opportunity’.

February 20 – Despite the ongoing investigation, Horner will fly to Bahrain for three days of testing ahead of the new season.

February 21st – Horner takes his position on the Red Bull pit wall for the opening day of testing. Rival Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is demanding transparency in Red Bull’s investigation, saying the controversy is ‘a problem for the entire Formula 1’.

February 22 – Horner appears at a press conference together with four other F1 team leaders. He declined to comment on the investigation, but said “everyone wants a conclusion as soon as possible.”

February 23 – Red Bull’s three-time world champion Max Verstappen says ‘it will be nice for everyone’ if the investigation into Horner is completed. Horner will return to England after the test.

February 28 – Red Bull GmbH announces that the ‘independent investigation into the allegations against Mr Horner has been completed and Red Bull can confirm that the complaint has been dismissed’, allowing Horner to remain in his position.

Source: PA

Horner, 50, had repeatedly insisted during the investigation that he was not going anywhere.

He was greeted by the findings when he landed in the Gulf Kingdom, with a statement from the world champion team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH in Salzburg, saying: ‘The independent investigation into the allegations against Mr Horner has been completed and Red Bull can confirm that the complaint has been rejected.

‘The complainant has the right to appeal. 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 participated in the investigation. Out of respect for all involved, we will therefore make no further comment. Red Bull will continue to strive to meet the highest standards in the workplace.”

The precise nature of the complaints is still unknown.

Horner was interrogated by a QC for a whole day at a secret location last month, while the lawyer gathered evidence he had written up in 150 pages over the past few days for the Red Bull board’s determination.

The accusations were made by a close colleague at Red Bull GmbH in Salzburg, who confirmed an internal investigation on February 5.

Horner was awaiting their verdict as he made the 3,000-mile journey from Britain to Bahrain on his private jet on Saturday for the opening race of the season.

He was said to be in good spirits during the day, hoping his name would be cleared upon landing in the Gulf kingdom on Wednesday afternoon. He didn’t show up in the paddock.

Former pop star Geri, mother of their seven-year-old son Monty, has been staunchly supportive throughout the ordeal. She is said to be ‘devastated’ by the shock to their lives, which they split between their farm (and stables) in Oxfordshire and a house in north London.

Horner has won 13 world championships since taking charge of the team in 2005 at the age of 31. He was the youngest team boss on the grid at the time, but now has the longest tenure.

He attended pre-season testing in Bahrain last week before returning home, with his position seemingly strengthening as the days progressed.

But he appeared to be struggling with forces within the organization moving against him, despite the veracity of the allegations.

Ford, which will have an engine partnership with Red Bull from 2026, led the calls for a quick conclusion to the saga. In a letter written last Friday, CEO Jim Farley expressed his dismay over the “unresolved allegations of inappropriate conduct by Red Bull Racing management.”

This call for clarity at the earliest moment was echoed by F1’s American owners, Liberty Media.

Later, Horner was pictured arriving at the Paddock before the first practice session started

Throughout the investigation, he had maintained his innocence and insisted he wasn’t going anywhere

Horner’s position was also undermined, it seemed, by the death of the energy drinks magnate who gave him his big break at the helm of the new Red Bull team 19 years ago. Dietrich Mateschitz died of cancer in 2022, a tragedy that inevitably shook up the management structure, leaving executives jostling for position. One of the key drivers is said to have been Oliver Mintzlaff, the managing director and former CEO of RB Leipzig, who, it is said, hated Horner’s power base.

However, Horner retained the support of Red Bull’s Thai faction, led by Chalerm Yoovidhya, son of company co-founder Chaleo. Chalerm, as heir to the company fortune with a 51 percent stake, is estimated to be worth £30 billion. He occasionally appeared at races and was seen in long and friendly conversations with the Englishman, including when Verstappen won the third of his consecutive world titles in Qatar last October.

Another important voice was that of Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s 80-year-old motorsport advisor – an Austrian who was probably more in tune with Mintzlaff than with Horner.

“Marko got a contract extension last year but saw his money halved,” said a well-placed F1 figure. “There is a feeling that he wanted to take revenge on Horner and get him out.”