Horner’s chances of knighthood ‘are now gone forever’
F1 team boss Christian Horner’s chances of a knighthood have been crushed by the WhatsApp allegations engulfing the sport, the editor at loggerheads with him said yesterday.
Tom Rubython claims Horner has considered legal action against the sport’s trade magazine Business F1 over a 19-page article. It names the younger female employee the Red Bull team principal allegedly sent a number of suggestive messages to.
Mr Rubython, the online magazine’s editor-in-chief, said the scandal had ruined Horner’s hopes of receiving a royal honour and shattered the perception of his “perfect life” with wife Geri Halliwell-Horner.
Investigation
Multi-millionaire Horner, 50, was last week cleared of misconduct by an independent investigation probing alleged “coercive behaviour”.
But, hours later, a tranche of WhatsApps and pictures were circulated anonymously to key figures in the sport.
Horner, who is worth £40million, denies wrongdoing and has refused to comment on “anonymous speculation from unknown sources”.
Mr Rubython said: “He’s very proud. He had the perfect life, and he was in line for a knighthood, if Red Bull and [driver] Max Verstappen had won a fourth championship. And that’s, in my view, gone forever.” Wife of nine years Geri is reported to have had the “meltdown to end all meltdowns” after the messages were leaked as she flew to Bahrain for the opening race of the F1 season last weekend.
The pair put on a show of unity in the race paddock, but Mr Rubython told the Mail: “That’s what he’s lost, that whole scenario of perfection in a life.”
The editor said that he had received correspondence from Horner’s legal team alleging the reporting had been unlawful and defamatory, stating the article does serious harm to his reputation.
The story is also alleged to have breached privacy laws by the firm, and they have demanded it should be taken offline. But Mr Rubython said: “I just don’t think the article’s defamatory.
“We’re a trade magazine, we’re used to writing these sorts of stories.”
Spice Girl Geri, 51, and Horner split their lives between their farmhouse and stables in Oxfordshire and a home in North London.
The mum of two also writes children’s books, including Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen.
Horner has won 13 world championships.