Christian Horner cuts lonely determine in Bahrain after ‘texts leak’

Christian Horner minimize a lone determine in Bahrain at the moment, along with his spouse Geri Halliwell mentioned by associates to be ‘extremely unlikely’ to fly out to affix him after the leak of a collection of humiliating textual content exchanges between the F1 boss and a feminine subordinate.

The couple had breathed a collective sigh of aid on Wednesday when Red Bull cleared Horner of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour allegations following a probe into his alleged relationship with the worker.

But yesterday, a collection of WhatsApp texts and pictures had been launched to dozens of journalists and key figures in sport, throwing the scandal again into the general public into the highlight as soon as once more.

Horner vowed to struggle on inside hours of the scandal deepening, and was at the moment pictured in his Red Bull gear forward of observe for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which begins tomorrow. 

It comes as associates near Halliwell, who stood by her husband of 9 years resolutely all through the inner probe, revealed she is ‘having the meltdown to finish all meltdowns over the leaks’.

The Spice Girl had deliberate to fly out to the Grand Prix going down in Bahrain this weekend to reunite publicly with Horner, however these near the previous popstar have mentioned it’s now ‘extremely unlikely’ that she’s going to be part of him.

Instead the mother-of-two has been left ‘feeling humiliated’ after the messages had been unfold ‘so extensively on the market’, a good friend added.

Hundreds of intimate WhatsApp exchanges purportedly between Horner and the colleague had been launched through an nameless e-mail account.

Horner was solely cleared by Red Bull’s Salzburg-based mum or dad firm – and advised he may keep on as group principal of the world-championship on a £8million-a-year-salary – 24 hours earlier than the texts dropped.

Halliwell had advised associates that she was ‘relieved and elated’ that the claims towards her associate, with whom she shares seven-year-old son Monty, had lastly been dropped.

Friends of the ex-Spice Girl advised the Mail she thought the scandal had ‘lastly gone away’ however have warned the looks of the intimate messages – to which there are 79 screenshots – may ‘destroy’ her.

One mentioned: ‘All alongside Christian promised there was nothing in it.’

Another mentioned he now fears for a way the star, who has been left mortified on the embarrassing fall out, will be capable to comprehend such a public humiliation.

He mentioned: ‘Geri has been dwelling on this blissful, blissful bubble for thus a few years now, she thought she had her prince and her knight in shining armour however now this.

‘She thought that it had all gone away, she was delighted and over the moon when she realized Christian had been cleared.

‘Geri was pilloried when she received along with Christian as a result of he had simply had one other child with one other girl however she has labored onerous to rid that picture of herself and Christian, and particularly that she is a homewrecker.

‘Now it has all come crashing down. The tears stopped when the judgment got here in on Wednesday, now they completely can have began once more. 

‘This will destroy her. All alongside Christian promised there was nothing in it.’

One supply near the star mentioned that she ‘wasn’t certain what to consider’ all through the saga however was decided to get by it with their marriage unscathed.

‘Geri isn’t any fish spouse however she lastly received the person she needed and he or she will not wish to let him go. This may find yourself being a giant dilemma for her,’ the supply mentioned.

The tranche of messages had been despatched to FIA president Mohammad Ben Sulayem and F1 chief government Stefano Domenicali. All the group principals had been copied in, together with star driver Max Verstappen’s father Jos.

Earlier this month Halliwell had briefly unfollowed world champion Verstappen on Instagram after the allegations towards Horner first got here to gentle. Sources near the star mentioned final evening that this was an ’emotional response’ which she thought would go unnoticed.

Reigning world champion Verstappen was quizzed forward of the Bahrain Grand Prix yesterday over whether or not Red Bull’s probe into Horner had impacted or altered the group’s preparations for the season.

The Dutchman, insisting that his focus has not been altered, replied: ‘It would not. I’m very targeted on simply the efficiency of the automotive and myself.

‘Hopefully it will likely be resolved very quickly. It’s a complete group effort that everybody has to stay collectively and work to extra success, in order that’s why it is necessary to get every thing resolved very quickly.

‘(Horner) is essential in any other case he would not have been in that place for such a very long time.’

The intense highlight on Horner in current weeks had already began to take a pressure on the couple’s dwelling life – which they break up between their farmhouse, and stables, in Oxfordshire and a house in North London. 

A supply near the pair mentioned final evening the previous couple of weeks had been ‘hell for Christian and his household’ and he had at all times branded the claims as being ‘nuts’.

‘Geri is devastated and has been struggling to eat and sleep. Her household and fellow Spice Girls are nervous about her,’ the supply mentioned final week forward of Horner being cleared.

‘I hear Christian is making an attempt to pep her as much as keep optimistic, however she has gone to floor in the best way she did after she left the Spice Girls. She’s not talking to anybody.’ 

Shortly after the leak yesterday, Horner launched an announcement which learn: ‘I can’t touch upon nameless hypothesis, however to reiterate I’ve at all times denied the allegations.

‘I revered the integrity of the unbiased investigation and absolutely cooperated with it each step of the best way. 

‘It was a radical and truthful investigation carried out by an unbiased specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the criticism made. I stay absolutely targeted on the beginning of the season.’

Announcing its conclusion on Wednesday, the corporate mentioned: ‘The unbiased investigation into the allegations made towards Mr Horner is full, and Red Bull can affirm that the grievance has been dismissed. 

The complainant has a proper of attraction. Red Bull is assured that the investigation has been truthful, rigorous and neutral. ‘

Horner, who has received 13 world championships since heading the group as a 31-year-old in 2005, had beforehand thanked his ‘very supportive spouse’ for her backing throughout the accusations.

Halliwell and Horner blended in social circles earlier than they struck up a romance, having first met one another on the Monaco Grand Prix in 2009.

‘[Geri] was a visitor of [former CEO of the Formula One Group] Bernie Ecclestone’s in Monaco one 12 months and got here down the pit lane,’ Horner beforehand advised The Telegraph. ‘I keep in mind [McLaren boss] Ron Dennis was standing subsequent to me and Eddie Jordan was there as nicely.

‘She gave Ron a kiss on the cheek, and he or she gave Eddie a kiss on the cheek. So I believed, ‘OK, I’m on for a kiss on the cheek right here!’ And I went to offer her one and he or she shoved her hand out at me.’

Their relationship, nonetheless, received off to a rocky begin, coming underneath fireplace after the Red Bull chief left his long-term associate Beverley Allen six months after she gave start to their daughter Olivia.

While the couple took a brief break to see if Horner may rescue his relationship with the mom of his baby, simply 9 months later he introduced his engagement to Ginger Spice in an commercial within the The Times in 2014.

It mentioned: ‘The engagement is introduced between Christian, son of Mr and Mrs G.M. Horner and Geraldine, daughter of the late Mr L.F. Halliwell and Mrs A Parkinson.’

The former Spice Girl and Red Bull boss tied the knot at St Mary’s Church in Woburn, Bedfordshire, in 2015.

Halliwell’s A-line lace bridal robe was designed by British designer Phillipa Lepley.

Her nine-year-old daughter, Bluebell, whom she had with screenwriter Sacha Gervasi in 2005, additionally attended the marriage.

Guests included Geri’s former Spice Girls co-star Emma Bunton, radio presenter and singer Myleene Klass, and TV presenter Amanda Holden.

Christian’s dad and mom had been reportedly left devastated when the sporting skilled left Ms Allen to be with the chart-topping star and subsequently selected to not see the duo tie the knot.

A supply near the couple beforehand mentioned: ‘Geri and Christian are upset that his dad and mom aren’t coming.’

Horner has received 13 world championships since heading the group as a 31-year-old in 2005. He was then the youngest group principal on the grid, but is now its longest-serving.