SPICE Girl Geri Halliwell was last night left stunned by a “sext bomb” of flirty messages sent by her F1 boss husband to a female employee.
Christian Horner, 50, was reeling after details were leaked from a confidential probe into claims he had sent improper texts to the colleague.
The pop star has stood by her husband throughout the three-week probe
Geri said she was relieved after her husband was cleared of wrongdoing
GettyHorner was pictured after he arrived in Bahrain this morning[/caption]
Hundreds of WhatsApp messages – sent to F1 teams and media outlets – dropped a day after sources close to 51-year-old Geri said she was “relieved and elated” that Horner was cleared of wrongdoing.
While there doesn’t appear to be any explicit images in the messages, some of the texts are sexually suggestive in nature.
The move was also calculated to cause maximum damage to Red Bull Racing boss Horner’s career – just 24 hours before the start of the new Grand Prix season in Bahrain.
Horner said: “I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations.”
“I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way.
“It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister and it has concluded, dismissing the complaint made.”
A vast trove of intimate texts was laid bare, which appeared to suggest Horner pestered the woman for pictures and engaged in secret flirty chat behind his wife’s back.
Other messages discuss a solo sex act in an aircraft toilet en route to Dubai.
The woman – who works with Horner at the all-conquering grand prix team’s Milton Keynes HQ – apparently tired of her boss’s pleas for pictures and sexy chat, according to the WhatsApp dossier.
She asks him to desist – and even asks how the married dad would feel if Geri was behaving in the same way with one of her staff.
Texts also suggest Horner became apologetic as he realised he had caused offence – and responded by asking the woman to delete their entire WhatsApp history.
Yesterday’s mega-leak appeared to be in line with the original accusation faced over alleged “sexually suggestive “ messages sent by Horner.
It was later claimed that the barrister-led inquiry into the team boss was into “controlling and coercive” behaviour towards the woman.
There is no suggestion that any pictures featuring sexual content are included in the WhatApps leaked so far.
A huge file of the messages were sent to a list of team bosses and senior F1 figures yesterday which reads like a Who’s Who of the.F1 paddock.
Media sources certain to lift the lid on the scandal were also cc’d on an email under the subject “Christian Horner investigation evidence.”
Pictures of the same messages – some including Geri’s name – quickly began spreading on X – formerly known as Twitter last night.
Team Principal Horner arrived in Bahrain on Thursday and had proudly announced his team – led by world champ Max Verstappen – had “never been stronger” yesterday morning.
But Red Bull Racing and the team’s Austrian parent company were last night paralysed over by the fallout from the scandal and did not answer requests for comment.
Geri – who has a six-year-old son Monty with Horner, who has two other children by a previous marriage – was back home in the UK as the texts were released.
The couple were understood to have been locked in long-distance talks as aides attempted to manage the crisis last night.
It remained unclear whether Geri had been shown any of the messages prior to their distribution.
But all traces of elation in the Horner camp following his exoneration just a day earlier appeared to have vanished last night as sources close to him went to ground.
Ginger Spice Geri endured three weeks of torment in which she was said to have stood by her man.
A source close to Horner told The Sun on Wednesday: “This has been weeks of hell for Christian and his family and – 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.”
Horner had earlier saluted Geri, revealing: “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.”
Dashing former racing driver Horner’s post was secured after an internal three-week investigation dismissed the unidentified woman employee’s claims or “coercive behaviour.”
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.
She was at his side recently as the couple cheered on their horse at a point-to-point horse racing event in Badbury Rings, Dorset.
Horner, who married the pop star in 2015, has always vehemently denied the claims and vowed to fight to clear his name.
The F1 boss flew out to Bahrain ahead of the season’s curtain raiser where Verstappen will lead the team’s latest push for glory this weekend.
Red Bull bosses chose not to formally release any of the evidence against F1’s longest-serving team boss, who has been awarded a CBE for services to motorsport.
And company bosses appear to have decided the sleazy and salacious nature of the messages did not constitute misconduct,
The anonymous sender of the text bomb appears to have been reacting to threats made by Horner aides to lift the lid on who was behind the scandal.
A source told the Sun on Wednesday: “Christian’s career, his marriage and his reputation were attacked but there are now no question marks over his character. There is no shadow.
“But questions are being asked about how this happened, why it happened and who was responsible.”
Red Bull Racing and the team’s Austrian parent company were approached for comment.
GettyGeri Halliwell was reportedly due to fly to Bahrain just hours before the online leak[/caption]
GettyHorner was seen hugging Verstappen in Bahrain today[/caption]
A look at Christian Horner’s life and career
CHRISTIAN 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