Halliwell and Horner unite to quell rumours

Former Spice Girl flies into Bahrain to join F1 racing team boss accused of ‘coercive behaviour’

GERI HALLIWELL has arrived in Bahrain in an apparent show of solidarity for her husband Christian Horner.

Halliwell, the one-time singer in pop band the Spice Girls, ended intense speculation over her movements by flying into the Gulf state.

Horner, the head of the Formula One racing team Red Bull, has been under scrutiny ever since a female employee accused him of “coercive behaviour”.

Leaked WhatsApp messages – purportedly containing flirty and some lewd comments – between Horner and a member of his staff had begun circulating online on Thursday evening after being distributed from an anonymous email account to journalists and senior motor racing officials and team bosses.

Horner, 50, who does not accept the messages’ authenticity, has tried to keep them from being printed, circulating threatening legal letters to news organisations warning that publication would be unlawful. Yesterday, MailOnline, the internet arm of the

began republishing a sample of them.

understands that there are concerns in F1 circles that the leaked messages may have been doctored. It is unclear who obtained the messages and then emailed them

out.

understands that the messages were submitted to an independent inquiry, set up by Red Bull’s parent company and conducted by a London-based barrister, which cleared Horner of wrongdoing on Wednesday.

Halliwell’s arrival in Bahrain will be a welcome boost to Horner on the eve of the first Grand Prix of the new F1 season. She has not yet been seen at the race circuit, including in the paddock, but it is suggested she is planning to be photographed at his side on the pre-race grid today.

The Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoov

Geri Halliwell, left, and Christian Horner, below, have been married for almost a decade and have a child together

idhya, who owns 51 per cent of the Red Bull drinks company, is also scheduled to appear with him in a further gesture of support.

Speaking publicly for the first time yesterday, Horner gave short shrift to reporters in Bahrain. “[I’m] not going to comment on anonymous speculation from unknown sources,” he said.

Asked what would happen next, Horner replied: “We go racing.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s star driver and reigning F1 champion, suggested his team were “fully focused” on the race and said it was “not our business to get involved” in the rumours. But he accepted that while Horner was “fully committed to the team” he was “of course… a little bit distracted” ahead of the first race of the season.

Halliwell, 51, who was known as Ginger

Spice during her girl band days, has been married to Horner for almost a decade. They have a child together.

Reports suggested she had been in the air en route to Bahrain when the leaked messages were first circulated on Thursday.

The leak contains dozens of screen grabs of WhatsApp messages, allegedly between Horner and a female employee.

An unnamed relative of the woman told MailOnline: “I haven’t read the text messages but there was never any relationship between her and Christian – God, no. She doesn’t discuss that sort of stuff with us.”

The relative added: “We speak every day and she’s very unhappy, of course. In her way of thinking it’s all very onesided and she’s been crucified.”