Christian Horner was 'relieved' after Geri Halliwell show of support but saga is far from over

Christian Horner was 'relieved' after Geri Halliwell show of support but saga is far from over

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Jack Otway

By Jack Otway


Published: 03/03/2024

- 12:03

The Red Bull chief oversaw the team's success on Saturday

Christian Horner was reportedly 'relieved' by Geri Halliwell's show of support on Saturday.

Geri joined her husband in Bahrain for the first Grand Prix of the season, with the Spice Girls icon holding the hand of her husband as they walked through the paddock.


Horner was cleared of misconduct by Red Bull earlier this week, with the team confirming the decision in a statement.

Yet alleged texts and WhatsApp messages sent by the 50-year-old to a female member of staff were then leaked, plunging the couple back into the spotlight as a result.

Christian Horner Geri Halliwell

Christian Horner was joined by wife Geri Halliwell for Saturday's Bahrain Grand Prix

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The saga is far from over, with Red Bull facing scrutiny in the wake of their decision to clear Horner.

And a source has told The Sun that the team principal was 'relieved and thrilled' by Geri's show of support.

An F1 paddock source is quoted as saying: “Christian is relieved and thrilled by Geri’s show of support.

"He was really happy she had flown out and was with him.

"They had time to discuss everything and she must have accepted his explanations to a point to turn out to support him.”

Horner has always denied the allegations.

The Red Bull chief has also insisted he doesn't fear the sack and that he's confident of remaining in his current position, a role he's occupied ever since 2005.

While the F1 side are currently being scrutinised, that didn't stop the team from enjoying a spectacular day in the Middle East.

Max Verstappen won the first Grand Prix of the season, with the 26-year-old the strong favourite to secure another F1 title.

And Sergio Perez finished second, while Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton could only secure fifth and seventh respectively.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has long had a fiery relationship with Horner due to their intense rivalry.

And the Austrian wants F1 authorities to 'set the compass right', while also calling for the matter to be taken out of Red Bull's hands.

“Let’s see where it goes in the next days," Wolff said after the race in Bahrain when quizzed on Horner.

“I would very much hope that the governing body, the sanctioning body and the commercial rights’ holder sets the compass right.

“But the moment I start to continue to question how this has been handled, I am probably not doing any good to the whole issue, because then it could be seen as this just being about a power fight within F1.

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Christian Horner Geri Halliwell

Christian Horner and Geri Halliwell shared a kiss during Saturday's Grand Prix in Bahrain

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“That’s why I think it’s not in the team’s hands.

"It’s a much bigger topic than that and I don’t want to diminish the whole situation by making it seem like the Mercedes guy is talking about the Red Bull guys.”

Wolff also praised Verstappen for his triumph, admitting the Red Bull star is a cut above the rest at the current moment in time.

He continued: “Max is in a different league, a different galaxy.

"We just have to acknowledge his performance levels.

Toto Wolff Christian Horner

Toto Wolff thinks the Christian Horner situation should be taken out of Red Bull's hands

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“But I believe that the group of Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes were probably in a similar ballpark.

"We just need to look at ourselves, get on top of our problems and if we are able to manage our race weekend better, we will be racing those guys.”

The next race is in Saudi Arabia and will commence at 5pm next Saturday.

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