Motorsport

CHRISTIAN Horner has broken his silence after being cleared of sending improper messages to a female colleague.The Red Bull Racing chief, 50, was pictured smiling as he arrived for the first practice session before the F1 season opener this weekend in Bahrain.Christian Horner pictured arriving at the circuit with Adrian Newey, the chief technical officerCredit: GettyMax Verstappen hugs Horner in the paddock prior to practiceCredit: GettyThe F1 chief smiled as he got to work in BahrainCredit: PAHorner looked relaxed as he spoke to a reporterCredit: PAHorner also chatted with Jos Verstappen at the circuitCredit: GettyHorner, who is married to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was yesterday told he could remain at the helm of world champion Max Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull team.Former racing driver Horner’s £8 million-a-year job was secured after a three-week internal ­investigation dismissed the unidentified employee’s slur.He said today he was “pleased” the investigation had been completed.Horner had initially been under investigation over alleged inappropriate behaviour but the probe was later said to involve sending improper messages to the woman.More on Christian HornerThe racing star had always vehemently denied the claims and vowed to fight to clear his name.He flew out to Bahrain ahead of the opening Grand Prix of the season at the weekend where Verstappen will lead the team’s latest push for glory.Today, The F1 boss looked relaxed as he arrived at the F1 paddock with chief technical officer, Adrian Newey.He grinned as he got to work at the Bahrain International Circuit and hugged Verstappen as they greeted each other.Most read in MotorsportSpeaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I’m just pleased that the process is over, I can’t comment about it.”The focus is very much now on the Grand Prix and the season ahead and trying to defend both of our titles.Christian & Geri Horner Mansions”I’m pleased to be here in Bahrain and with the team, focussed on the season ahead.”The team has never been stronger.”Red Bull Racing’s Austrian parent company yesterday confirmed the woman’s claims had been thrown out.Horner’s wife Geri, who he wed in 2015, was said to be “relieved and elated” as her husband was cleared of any wrongdoing.The 51-year-old singer had stood solidly by Horner during the three-week long probe.A source close to Geri said: “This has been weeks of hell for Christian and his family.“As he has said all along, these claims are ‘nuts’.“An exhaustive investigation has been carried out and the allegations have proven to be nonsense.“Geri has been rock solid behind Christian — and his whole family is relieved and elated that it’s over. Those feelings are there but no one close to Christian feels like celebrating much after what he’s been through.“For the time being his focus is back fully on winning races.”Geri was said to have been left “in floods of tears” when the scandal first broke earlier this month and was supported by pals including her fellow Spice Girls.A statement was released just minutes after Horner landed in the Gulf kingdom.It said: “Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been ­dismissed. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been 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 we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards.”The team’s parent company confirmed the complainant, who is understood to still be working at the team’s Milton Keynes HQ, “has a right of appeal”.Verstappen and Horner embraced at the greeted each other todayCredit: GettyHorner pictured hugging a fellow team memberCredit: RexHorner and Newey walk in the paddock ahead of the practice sessionCredit: GettyVerstappen and Horner the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar in October 2023Credit: GettyHorner with wife Geri, who he married in 2015Credit: GettyA look at Christian Horner’s life and careerCHRISTIAN Horner is among the most well-known names in Formula One having helped build Red Bull into one of the biggest teams in the sport.

1973 – Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
1991 – Wins a Formula Renault scholarship after impressing in karting races
1993-1997 – Competed in a host of competitions including British Formula Three, British Formula Two, and Formula 3000
1997 – Founded and developed the F3000 team Arden
1999 – Retired from driving and continued developing the Arden team
2005 – Appointed head of Red Bull team, becoming the youngest ever team principal at that time
2009 – Wins his first races as team principal with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber
2010 – Wins the Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship with Vettel – the first of four doubles in a row
2013 – Has a daughter with ex-wife Beverly Allen shortly before the couple split
2014 – Gets engaged to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell
2015 – Marries Halliwell in Woburn, Bedfordshire
2017 – Horner and Halliwell welcome their son
2021 – Wins another Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen, beating Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season
2022-23 – Red Bull win the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship two years in a row More

MAX VERSTAPPEN refused to be drawn into a debate over the future of Red Bull boss Christian Horner – swerving questions about their relationship.Horner was cleared of wrongdoing following an internal investigation focusing on alleged “coercive behaviour”.
Max Verstappen would not comment on the results of the probeCredit: Rex
Horner is likely to find out the result of Red Bull’s investigation soonCredit: Getty
The investigation was launched following a complaint from a female member of staff.
The 50-year-old was en-route to Bahrain for the opening race of the season earlier today, with many inside the paddock already seeing this as a clue he had been given the green light to continue in his role as team boss of the Red Bull Racing team.
Horner strongly denied the allegations and complied fully with the internal investigation which had been headed up by the energy drink’s Austrian HQ.
Verstappen faced several questions from the media ahead of the Bahrain GP centering on the internal investigation and said it would not affect his performance.
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He said: “It doesn’t [affect me]. I’m very focused on just the performance of the car, myself, and hopefully it will just be resolved very soon.
“It’s a whole team effort, everyone has to stick together, and work towards more success. That’s why it’s important of course to get everything resolved very soon.”
When asked by SunSport if he was 100 percent behind Horner, Verstappen said: “Well, I’m trusting the process, that’s what’s happening right now.
“When you talk about performance, it’s of course very important that everyone sticks together.”
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He was then asked for some more information on the process that Horner is going through and whether he had “full confidence in his team principal”.
He added: “I do not want to get into that. Because it’s not my case anyway, and I don’t want to be involved with that.
Christian & Geri Horner Mansions
“But as a team, yeah, we do trust that process and we just have to be patient, because there’s no need to start saying things, start screaming things out loud.
“You have to be patient. I think I’ve learned that over the years anyway.”
Horner has been with Red Bull Racing since January 2005 and overseen their phenomenal rise.
He has won 13 titles, including both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships last season, with Verstappen taking his third world crown.
Verstappen admitted Horner was crucial to the success of the team and said he would have been missed if he was dismissed from his post.
He said: “He’s very important, otherwise he wouldn’t be in that position right for such a long time.
“Let’s say if your team boss disappears for whatever reason for one or two races, not much is going to happen, because everyone is in their role and they know what they have to do in the short term, but it’s all about people management over time.
“And then of course things will start to be different, if one of the leaders starts to not be there any more.
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“But we are not thinking like that. Like I said before, we just trust the process that we are in as a team of course, to see what the outcome will be.
“Besides that, at the moment, everyone is just very focused on the performance here at the track, and everyone is in a good mood and just excited to get going again.” More

LEWIS HAMILTON says the pending decision on Christian Horner’s future is an “important moment for the sport”.The Red Bull boss is expected to be CLEARED of inappropriate behaviour and remain in control of the F1 team.
A female at Red Bull has complained about Christian Horner’s behaviourCredit: Getty
Lewis Hamilton has had his say on accusations about Christian HornerCredit: PA
Horner is at the centre of a complaint from a female member off staff amid accusations of inappropriate behaviour.
The 50-year-old has denied the accusations and complied with the internal investigation being run by Red Bull’s Austria HQ.
Hamilton, 39, was asked about how the situation is being handled prior to any official announcement.
And he said teams have a responsibility to take any allegation seriously.
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Hamilton said: “We always have to do more to try to make the sport and the environment and people’s work feel safe and inclusive, and any allegations have to be taken very seriously.
“Obviously we don’t know everything that’s gone on.
“But it does need to be resolved as it’s hanging over the sport, and it’ll be really interesting to see how it’s dealt with.
“Moving forward, in terms of the effect it may or may not have on the sport.
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“I think it’s a really important moment for the sport to make sure that we stand true to our values.”
The F1 season gets underway this season in Bahrain.
Christian & Geri Horner Mansions
It will be Hamilton’s last with Mercedes before he joins Ferrari in 2025. More

CHRISTIAN Horner is set to be CLEARED of any wrongdoing after bombshell claims were made by a female colleague about his behaviour.The F1 chief, 50, has been the subject of an internal investigation following allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by a female staffer. 
Christian Horner pictured ahead of practice in Nevada in November 2023Credit: Reuters
Horner leads the all-conquering racing team of world champion Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
Horner with wife Geri, who he married in 2015Credit: Getty
Embattled Red Bull team principal Horner, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was initially under investigation over alleged controlling behaviour at work.
But it was later alleged that he sent the female employee “sexually suggestive” messages.
Horner vehemently denied all claims threatening his position as leader of the all-conquering team of world champion Max Verstappen.
It is understood Horner is due to be cleared of misconduct after an independent barrister was employed to review the evidence, SunSport understands.
Read more on Horner
Red Bull is due to confirm its verdict later this afternoon. Any decision made could be appealed.
Horner today flew out to Bahrain ahead of the F1 season opener Grand Prix on Saturday – not knowing the outcome of the probe.
Over the more than three-week process of the probe, the message from within the team has been that it is “business as usual”.
Horner was present at the pre-season testing in Bahrain last week and Red Bull’s 2024 car launch days prior.
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The team principal, who has led the Austrian team since its formation in 2005, was quizzed by an independent barrister in a private location late into the afternoon on February 9.
Horner is said to have privately vowed to his friends he will “clear his name”.
Christian Horner makes FIRST public appearance since bombshell ‘inappropriate behaviour’ claims at Red Bull F1 launch
Red Bull has been under pressure to resolve the matter with Ford CEO Jim Farley demanding a resolution as he expressed his disapproval of “the unresolved allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Red Bull Racing leadership”.
Last week, Horner addressed the new bombshell probe and declared he wanted a conclusion as “soon as possible”.
He was previously reportedly urged to resign by ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone – and F1 insiders did not “expect him to survive in his role”, according to BBC Sport.
F1 was rocked by the news that the sport’s longest-standing team principal had been placed under investigation by Red Bull’s Austria-based parent company.
Horner’s wife Geri Halliwell, 51, is understood to be standing firmly by her husband, who she married in 2015.
Earlier this month, she was pictured smiling alongside her husband at a horse racing event in Badbury Rings, Dorset.
She was allegedly reduced to tears when news of the scandal broke – but privately insisted he did nothing wrong.
And a source said she is “mortified and angry” with her husband according to the the Daily Mail.
Horner previously praised his wife for her support and told Dutch journalists: “I have a very supportive family and a very supportive wife.
“My focus has been on the job and the season ahead. I’m not going to talk about private matters, but my family have been hugely supportive.”

It comes as…

The Red Bull Racing boss has reportedly referred to the allegations as “nuts”.
The F1 chief has overseen a huge period of success for the racing team – winning multiple F1 championships with Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen.
Red Bull has won seven Formula One world drivers’ championships and six world ­constructors’ titles under Horner’s leadership.
Last season, the team won 21 of the 22 races on the global F1 tour, and Verstappen, 26, won the drivers’ crown.
Horner was awarded a CBE for services to motorsport in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List.
Ahead of the probe into Horner’s conduct, there were reports of an unrelated internal power struggle waging within Red Bull.
Rumours of issues between the team’s leadership have swirled since the death of billionaire co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022 and the team drafted a new board of directors.
Former RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff was appointed chief executive.
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Despite Red Bull enjoying its most successful season in F1 history in 2023, there was speculation of a rift between Horner and Helmut Marko – Red Bull GmBH’s motorsport advisor.
Rumours even went as far as to suggest Horner was determined to get rid of Marko, 80, from the team.
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has spent a day at the races with her husband on SundayCredit: christianhorner/Instagram
Verstappen and Horner the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar in October 2023Credit: Getty
A look at Christian Horner’s life and careerCHRISTIAN Horner is among the most well-known names in Formula One having helped build Red Bull into one of the biggest teams in the sport.
1973 – Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
1991 – Wins a Formula Renault scholarship after impressing in karting races
1993-1997 – Competed in a host of competitions including British Formula Three, British Formula Two, and Formula 3000
1997 – Founded and developed the F3000 team Arden
1999 – Retired from driving and continued developing the Arden team
2005 – Appointed head of Red Bull team, becoming the youngest ever team principal at that time
2009 – Wins his first races as team principal with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber
2010 – Wins the Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship with Vettel – the first of four doubles in a row
2013 – Has a daughter with ex-wife Beverly Allen shortly before the couple split
2014 – Gets engaged to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell
2015 – Marries Halliwell in Woburn, Bedfordshire
2017 – Horner and Halliwell welcome their son
2021 – Wins another Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen, beating Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season
2022-23 – Red Bull win the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship two years in a row More

CHRISTIAN Horner is flying to Bahrain ahead of the F1 season opener as he awaits the outcome of an investigation into his behaviour.It is understood the embattled Red Bull Racing chief, 50, will find out his fate today following an internal probe.
Christian Horner pictured on February 22Credit: Getty
Horner shares a laugh with world champion Max Verstappen at pre-season testingCredit: Getty
Horner was initially under investigation over alleged controlling behaviour at work.
But it was later alleged that he sent the female employee “sexually suggestive” messages.
Horner has vehemently denied all claims that threaten his position as leader of the all-conquering team of world champion Max Verstappen.
It is widely expected the result of the probe – being handled by the energy drink’s HQ in Austria – will be revealed today as his position at the team’s helm hangs in the balance.
More on Christian Horner
Over the three-week process of the probe, the message from within the team has been that it is “business as usual”.
And that stance has not changed as Horner, who is not believed to know the outcome of the investigation, is today jetting out to the island, Sky Sports reports.
It is reported he will not be present for the media day today, but is due in the paddock for practice tomorrow.
But The Sun this week told how the full report on the probe may be kept secret by Red Bull.
Most read in Motorsport
Horner was present at the pre-season testing in Bahrain last week and Red Bull’s 2024 car launch days prior.
Last week, Horner addressed the new bombshell probe and declared he wanted a conclusion as “soon as possible”.
Christian & Geri Horner Mansions
He was previously reportedly urged to resign by ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone – and F1 insiders did not “expect him to survive in his role”, according to BBC Sport.
Horner’s wife Geri Halliwell, 51, is understood to be standing firmly by her husband, who she married in 2015.
Earlier this month, she was pictured smiling alongside her husband at a horse racing event in Badbury Rings, Dorset.
She was allegedly reduced to tears when news of the scandal broke – but privately insisted he did nothing wrong.
Horner, who has led the Austrian team since its formation in 2005, was quizzed by an independent barrister in a private location late into the afternoon on February 9.
He is said to have privately vowed to his friends he will “clear his name and come through this,” a source told the Daily Mail.
Horner joined Red Bull Racing in 2005 and is the sport’s longest-serving team principal.
The F1 chief has overseen a huge period of success for the racing team – winning multiple F1 championships with Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen.
The bombshell claims that have rocked F1F1 was rocked earlier this month by the sudden news that the sport’s longest-standing team principal had been placed under investigation by Red Bull’s Austria-based parent company.
This was thought to be over a “dossier of incriminating material” regarding “inappropriate and controlling behaviour” towards one female, The Telegraph reported.
Red Bull’s Austrian parent company flew an independent lawyer to the UK to question the multi-millionaire race ace and his accuser.
The former racing driver, who runs world champion Max Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull team, endured an eight-hour grilling over the claims last week.
Most recently however, more allegations have come out as the De Telegraaf reported that Horner allegedly sent sex messages to his employee “over an extended period of time”.
Messages were said to have been saved and presented as evidence to the external ­barrister running the inquiry after the woman made a complaint last December.
Mr Horner categorically denied the new allegations and is thought to be taking legal action against De Telegraaf.
An F1 source told The Sun last week that “Christian has not been sacked or asked to resign and he is not going to resign”.
The investigation raises the question of who could take over the helm of the all-conquering racing team of world champion Max Verstappen.
His wife Geri Halliwell is also said to be “terrified her life will unravel” amid Horner’s “inappropriate behaviour” probe.
The ex-Spice Girl, who was “in floods of tears” when the Red Bull boss was hit with the bombshell allegations, fears the drama will drag on for years, a source has claimed. 
But Geri, 51, is understood to be standing by her husband.
She has told pals: “Christian has done nothing wrong.”
Horner has overseen a huge period of success for the racing team – winning multiple F1 championships with Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen.
Red Bull has won seven Formula One world drivers’ championships and six world ­constructors’ titles under Horner’s leadership.
Last season, the team won 21 of the 22 races on the global F1 tour, and Verstappen, 26, won the drivers’ crown.
Horner was awarded a CBE for services to motorsport in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List

Red Bull has won seven Formula One world drivers’ championships and six world ­constructors’ titles under Horner’s leadership.
Last season, the team won 21 of the 22 races on the global F1 tour, and Verstappen, 26, won the drivers’ crown.
Horner was awarded a CBE for services to motorsport in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List.
Should he quit his role, Red Bull would be seeking a replacement to lead their defence of the two titles they won in 2023, with Max Verstappen winning his third world championship.
But F1 insiders say the probe has already caused “loss of image” to the team.
Ex-F1 team owner Eddie Jordan told F1-Insider.com: “I have experienced many wrong decisions.
“But the Red Bull situation is the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen. Of course, there is initially the presumption of innocence for Horner.
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“But does anyone seriously believe that the employee made up her mind about the allegations?
“If Horner is innocent, is she guilty? Red Bull’s loss of image is already huge. Someone has to pull the ripcord now.”
Horner with wife Geri HalliwellCredit: GettyA look at Christian Horner’s life and careerCHRISTIAN Horner is among the most well-known names in Formula One having helped build Red Bull into one of the biggest teams in the sport.

1973 – Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
1991 – Wins a Formula Renault scholarship after impressing in karting races
1993-1997 – Competed in a host of competitions including British Formula Three, British Formula Two, and Formula 3000
1997 – Founded and developed the F3000 team Arden
1999 – Retired from driving and continued developing the Arden team
2005 – Appointed head of Red Bull team, becoming the youngest ever team principal at that time
2009 – Wins his first races as team principal with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber
2010 – Wins the Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship with Vettel – the first of four doubles in a row
2013 – Has a daughter with ex-wife Beverly Allen shortly before the couple split
2014 – Gets engaged to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell
2015 – Marries Halliwell in Woburn, Bedfordshire
2017 – Horner and Halliwell welcome their son
2021 – Wins another Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen, beating Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season
2022-23 – Red Bull win the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship two years in a row More