Horner talk rumbles on
She flies in amid sexts furore
CHRISTIAN HORNER is still the talk of Formula One as the saga surrounding the Red Bull boss refuses to go away.
After the alleged release of messages and photos circulated, Horner (inset) was involved in several high-level meetings in Bahrain.
During the third and final free practice session of the weekend, he was spotted emerging from the Red Bull garage with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The team principal then met with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali later in the day, ahead of qualifying.
While the nature of these conversations is unknown, the 50-year-old was spotted embracing Ben Sulayem on his way out of the garage during FP3.
Further fuel was added to the fire when it emerged that Horner’s Spice Girl wife Geri was on a flight to Bahrain at the time the email was sent.
When the investigation into the misconduct allegations was closed on Wednesday, Horner’s future looked secure.
However, this latest twist in the tale poses a new threat to the long-serving team principal’s position within his organisation.
Key paddock figures such as Toto Wolff and Zak Brown have reiterated calls for transparency regarding the process, and the global headlines have created unwanted attention for F1.
So far, Red Bull have refused to share the report on the investigation, labelling it as “confidential”. However, if the FIA were to launch their own probe into the matter, the International Sporting Code could force Red Bull’s hand.
Under Article 12.2.1g, “any failure to co-operate in an investigation” would be deemed an offence.
If the cloud continues to hang over Horner and dominate the headlines, the sport’s governing body has the tools to intervene.
CHRISTIAN Horner faced a Bahrain desert storm as wife Geri Halliwell jetted in for a show of unity – to be greeted by his alleged leaked flirty messages to another woman.
The former Spice Girl landed in the Middle East to support her hubby after he was cleared to continue as Red Bull’s F1 team principal.
This followed an internal probe into claims of “coercive behaviour” which he denied.
But before her private jet touched down, an anonymous email was sent to 149 F1 figures containing 79 screenshots of WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between Horner and a female employee. Pals said Geri, 51, went “into meltdown” over the messages and felt “humiliated”. Meanwhile, Horner, 50, still wearing his wedding ring ahead of the first GP of the season, was hauled in for crisis talks with F1 chiefs.