Beleaguered Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner has damaged cowl on the Grand Prix with no signal of his spouse Geri Halliwell after his spouse came upon his intercourse texts had been leaked as she was flying in a non-public jet.
The former Spice Girl, 51, and her husband, 50, had breathed a collective sigh of reduction on Wednesday when Red Bull cleared Horner of inappropriate behaviour allegations which had been made by a feminine worker.
But 24 hours later, flirtatious WhatsApp messages apparently exchanged between Horner and the feminine complainant had been leaked to 149 F1 figures whereas Halliwell was on a flight to see her husband forward of this weekend’s season opener in Bahrain.
Geri Halliwell is holding ‘disaster talks’ over Christian Horner‘s leaked textual content messages and didn’t wish to meet her husband in Bahrain till she was talked into it by his household, sources claimed final night time.
Red Bull employees are reportedly afraid that extra messages could also be leaked.
Halliwell, who married the Red Bull crew principal in 2015, went ‘into meltdown’ when she touched down within the Gulf state on a non-public jet on Thursday and found the bombshell messages had been plastered throughout social media.
This morning, she was nowhere to be seen as her husband Christian Horner was pictured in black sun shades and a Red Bull boiler swimsuit as he carried a brown leather-based bag on the racetrack forward of the Grand Prix.
Christian Horner broke cowl this morning as he was pictured in Bahrain forward of the Grand Prix
His spouse Geri Halliwell realized of Horner’s intercourse texts leaking whereas she was on a non-public jet to Bahrain. This morning she was nowhere to be seen
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell (pictured) wasn’t seen together with her husband Christian Horner at present
Halliwell is claimed to have came upon that her husband’s bombshell intercourse texts had been leaked as she was flying to Bahrain on a non-public jet
Friends of the star, who is known to have identified about and permitted of the girl working for her husband’s crew, have informed Mail+ they’re ‘deeply involved’ about her and stated the singer appeared ‘fragile’ after they noticed her some weeks in the past.
A supply informed The Mirror final night time: ‘Geri has been locked in disaster talks together with her crew this week about how you can handle all of this.’ While Horner is claimed to have ‘performed down’ the drama to his spouse, ‘she will be able to’t bear the actual fact it’s now all out in the open‘.
The supply stated that Halliwell, who shares seven-year-old son Monty with Horner, ‘appears like a idiot’, including: ‘It has actually taken its toll on her and she or he informed buddies this week she wouldn’t be in Bahrain.’
It’s understood that the singer was adamant on not assembly her husband however Horner’s mom has been pleading together with her to publicly again him in a present of solidarity.
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and Red Bull boss Christian Horner are pictured on the Baftas in February final 12 months
Friends of Halliwell (pictured at Wimbledon in 2019) say they’re ‘deeply involved’ for the previous Spice Girl and that she appeared ‘fragile’ after they noticed her some weeks in the past
Spice Girl Halliwell and Horner are pictured on their wedding ceremony day in Woburn on May 15, 2015
It’s understood that the singer was adamant on not assembly her husband however Horner’s mom Sara (pictured with the couple) has been pleading together with her to publicly again him in a present of solidarity
In stark distinction, her personal crew are stated to be urging her to maintain her distance as they concern her model and status could possibly be tarnished. The supply claimed that Halliwell is ‘torn’ between each camps.
The Sun experiences that Halliwell knew of the feminine worker on the centre of the drama, with Red Bull insiders claiming that she even permitted of the girl working for her husband’s crew.
A supply near the Spice Girl informed the newspaper this was ‘humiliation on a world scale’. They stated: ‘Of course, to depart Christian — and stroll away from the blissful life they’ve constructed for themselves — could be the final word act of lady energy.
‘But as anybody with children is aware of — to not point out a hinterland of affection and connection — that’s simpler stated than completed.’
It’s additionally reported that Halliwell has minimize herself off from the Spice Girls, who had been set to be reunited quickly to debate tour dates for a comeback.
The lady band, minus Victoria Beckham, had been set to mark their 30-year anniversary with some exhibits this 12 months however sources say that is now unlikely.
An F1 supply additionally stated that Red Bull employees are fearing there could also be extra leaked messages to come back, which might overshadow world champion Max Verstappen’s bid to win the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Geri Halliwell and her husband Christian Horner are pictured collectively in Las Vegas final November
Horner had been cleared to proceed as Red Bull crew principal on Wednesday and was pictured in Bahrain on Thursday
Geri Halliwell has not but been pictured within the paddock in Bahrain. Here, she is seen at Silverstone final July
Horner has vowed to struggle and is now making ready for tomorrow’s Bahrain GP
It’s believed that the drama has put the couple’s marriage ‘in query for the primary time’.
Halliwell has not but been seen within the paddock since arriving in Bahrain – the place Red Bull’s Verstappen tried to take the highlight off Horner by taking pole place in qualifying.
The world champion was 0.228 seconds faster than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second, whereas Mercedes’ George Russell got here third and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton needed to accept ninth.
As it stands, Halliwell is planning to be at at present’s Grand Prix in a public present of solidarity.
The plan is that she will likely be at Horner’s facet on the pre-race grid, alongside his main ally on the Red Bull board, Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya, who owns 51 per cent of the vitality drinks firm.
One insider informed Mail Sport forward of the GP: ‘She [Halliwell] took off earlier than the e-mail landed. I do not know whether or not she will likely be on the race however will probably be mayhem if she is.
‘It could be nuts. She could even be flying residence.’
As she arrived, her husband was pulled from the pit wall into a gathering with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Christian Horner pictured on Thursday forward of a follow session on the Bahrain International Circuit
Horner and Geri Halliwell on the Larkhill Royal Artillery Point to Point
The Red Bull boss – seen on Thursday – is again within the highlight after textual content messages allegedly exchanged between him and a feminine worker had been leaked
The couple had breathed a collective sigh of reduction on Wednesday when Red Bull cleared Horner of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour allegations following a probe into his alleged relationship with the worker.
But the complainant fired again on Thursday, as a supply near her informed MailOnline that she was ‘very sad’ at Red Bull’s resolution to clear the F1 boss.
A relative of the feminine worker stated: ‘My response to all that is that it’s disgusting. In the phrases of Red Bull, Christian Horner has been cleared however I believe many individuals take a look at that reply and may’t fairly fathom out the reality behind it.
‘It’s clearly not going to relaxation now due to these leaks. I wasn’t conscious of the messages previous to them being picked up by the media and I do not know in any respect who’s chargeable for the leak.
‘You at all times imagine your individual, do not you? I have not learn the textual content messages however there was by no means any relationship between her and Christian – God, no. She does not talk about that form of stuff with us.
‘If you’re employed for an individual like him, you reside with many items of data that aren’t to be disclosed. She definitely hasn’t spoken to me about it.’
The supply went on: ‘We communicate each day and she or he’s very sad – after all. In her mind-set it is all very one-sided and she or he’s been crucified.
‘Are the Red Bull investigation crew impartial? Who is aware of? They’ve made comparisons within the newspapers about Christian being grilled for 12 hours or so…effectively what number of hours was she grilled for? They do not ask that query, however it’s much more than that.’
On Thursday, a collection of WhatsApp texts and images had been launched to dozens of journalists and key figures in sport, throwing the allegations again into the general public into the highlight as soon as once more.
Horner has vowed to struggle on and was pictured in his Red Bull gear forward of follow for the Bahrain Grand Prix yesterday.
It comes as mates near Halliwell, who stood by her husband of 9 years resolutely all through the interior probe, revealed she is ‘having the meltdown to finish all meltdowns over the leaks’.
Friends near the Spice Girl stated she is ‘having the meltdown to all meltdowns over the leaks’
Horner and Halliwell in a vacation {photograph} taken on an unidentified seaside over Christmas
Red Bull crew principal Christian Horner and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell pose after the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza on September 7, 2014
The couple tied the knot at a star-studded ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Woburn in 2015
Miss Halliwell threw her husband Horner a shock fiftieth party in December final 12 months
The mother-of-two has been left ‘feeling humiliated’ after the messages had been unfold ‘so broadly on the market’, a pal added.
Hundreds of intimate WhatsApp exchanges purportedly between Horner and the colleague had been launched by way of an nameless e mail account.
Horner was solely cleared by Red Bull’s Salzburg-based father or mother firm – and informed he might keep on as crew principal of the world-championship on a £8million-a-year-salary – 24 hours earlier than the texts dropped.
Halliwell had informed mates that she was ‘relieved and elated’ that the claims in opposition to her associate, with whom she shares seven-year-old son Monty, had lastly been dropped.
Friends of the Spice Girl informed the Mail she thought the drama had ‘lastly gone away’ however have warned the looks of the intimate messages – to which there are 79 screenshots – might ‘destroy’ her.
One stated: ‘All alongside Christian promised there was nothing in it.’
Another stated he now fears for the way the star, who has been left mortified on the embarrassing fall out, will have the ability to comprehend such a public humiliation.
He stated: ‘Geri has been dwelling on this completely satisfied, completely satisfied bubble for therefore 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 obtained along with Christian as a result of he had simply had one other child with one other girl however she has labored laborious to rid that picture of herself and Christian, and specifically 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 could have began once more.
‘This will destroy her. All alongside Christian promised there was nothing in it.’
One supply near the star stated that she ‘wasn’t positive what to imagine’ all through the saga however was decided to get by way of it with their marriage unscathed.
‘Geri isn’t any fish spouse however she lastly obtained the person she wished and she or he will not wish to let him go. This might find yourself being an enormous dilemma for her,’ the supply stated.
The tranche of messages had been despatched to FIA president Mohammad Ben Sulayem and F1 chief govt Stefano Domenicali. All the crew 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 in opposition to Horner first got here to gentle. Sources near the star stated on Thursday night time that this was an ’emotional response’ which she thought would go unnoticed.
Reigning world champion Verstappen was quizzed forward of the Bahrain Grand Prix over whether or not Red Bull’s probe into Horner had impacted or altered the crew’s preparations for the season.
The Dutchman, insisting that his focus has not been altered, replied: ‘It does not. I’m very centered on simply the efficiency of the automotive and myself.
‘Hopefully will probably be resolved very quickly. It’s an entire crew effort that everybody has to stay collectively and work to extra success, in order that’s why it is necessary to get every part 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 residence life – which they break up between their farmhouse, and stables, in Oxfordshire and a house in North London.
A supply near the pair stated 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 anxious about her,’ the supply stated final week forward of Horner being cleared.
‘I hear Christian is making an attempt to pep her as much as keep constructive, 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, Horner launched a press release 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 impartial investigation and absolutely cooperated with it each step of the best way.
‘It was a radical and honest investigation carried out by an impartial specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the criticism made. I stay absolutely centered on the beginning of the season.’
The messages come a day after Horner was informed he could be cleared of a Red Bull probe into his behaviour
The Spice Girls star stated she is ‘actually grateful’ to have Christian Horner as her ‘finest pal’
Horner and Halliwell meet then-Prince Charles at a Prince’s Trust occasion in London in 2019
Announcing its conclusion on Wednesday, the corporate stated: ‘The impartial investigation into the allegations made in opposition to Mr Horner is full, and Red Bull can affirm that the grievance has been dismissed.
The complainant has a proper of enchantment. Red Bull is assured that the investigation has been honest, rigorous and neutral. ‘
Horner, who has gained 13 world championships since heading the crew as a 31-year-old in 2005, had beforehand thanked his ‘very supportive spouse’ for her backing throughout the accusations.
Halliwell and Horner combined 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 informed The Telegraph. ‘I keep in mind [McLaren boss] Ron Dennis was standing subsequent to me and Eddie Jordan was there as effectively.
‘She gave Ron a kiss on the cheek, and she or he gave Eddie a kiss on the cheek. So I assumed, ‘OK, I’m on for a kiss on the cheek right here!’ And I went to offer her one and she or he shoved her hand out at me.’
Their relationship, nevertheless, obtained off to a rocky begin, coming below fireplace after the Red Bull chief left his long-term associate Beverley Allen six months after she gave beginning to their daughter Olivia.
While the couple took a brief break to see if Horner might 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.
Christian Horner, pictured with Prince Harry earlier than the Texas Grand Prix in October final 12 months
Ginger Spice and Horner are pictured on the World Premiere of ‘The Moonwalkers’ final December
Christian and Geri’s relationship got here below fireplace after the Formula One boss left his long-term associate Beverley Allen (pictured) six months after the beginning of their daughter, Olivia
Halliwell and Horner attend the Gala Dinner for the F1 Grand Prix Of Monaco on May 28, 2023
It stated: ‘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 mother and father had been reportedly left devastated when the sporting skilled left Ms Allen to be with the chart-topping star and due to this fact selected to not see the duo tie the knot.
A supply near the couple beforehand stated: ‘Geri and Christian are upset that his mother and father aren’t coming.’
Horner has gained 13 world championships since heading the crew as a 31-year-old in 2005. He was then the youngest crew principal on the grid, but is now its longest-serving.