Christian Horner and Max Verstappen were seen kissing as the Red Bull F1 team made a show of unity at the Australian Grand Prix following the ‘sex texts’ scandal.
Red Bull team principal Horner, married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, finally surfaced at Melbourne’s Albert Park ahead of the next race after turbulent weeks – and appeared to get on well with the star driver of his organization, Verstappen.
Horner was seen chatting with Verstappen and the driver’s manager Raymond Vermeulen, although the team principal was criticized by the driver’s father following the ‘sexting’ controversy.
An internal investigation was carried out ahead of the 2024 season following a complaint by a female Red Bull employee and Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing just a day before the first practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
What appeared to be intimate WhatsApp exchanges allegedly sent by Horner to his colleague were then leaked to a number of key F1 figures and the media 24 hours later, bringing his conduct back into the spotlight.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has finally been spotted at Albert Park after evading photographers upon his arrival in Australia.
Horner was seen hugging Red Bull star driver Max Verstappen.
Horner was pictured meeting Max Verstappen and the driver’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, arriving at the Albert Park circuit shortly after on Thursday.
There have been reports casting doubt on Verstappen’s (right) future with the team
The 50-year-old managed to evade photographers when he arrived in Australia for the race, and it is unclear whether his wife Geri will be present at Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Horner, 50, continued to maintain his innocence and his Red Bull team made a dominant start to the season, securing successive one-two finishes, but doubts emerged over driver Verstappen’s future following the scandal.
Thai businessman Chalerm Yoovidhya owns 51% of Red Bull and reportedly sent a family member – nicknamed the “Thai Spy” – to keep tabs on Horner and the company as a whole.
The drama could potentially destroy the Red Bull operation, with Horner on one side and Max and his father, Jos, and Red Bull chief Helmut Marko on the other.
Jos Verstappen called for Horner to step down, while Max insisted he would leave the team if Marko left.
Marko was accused of being behind the leaked messages and admitted he may not be present at this weekend’s race in case he faces disciplinary action. He has since insisted he will not leave the team.
Horner has had a tumultuous few weeks after being accused of ‘inappropriate behavior’ by a Red Bull employee, but he looked relaxed in Melbourne on Thursday (pictured)
The Red Bull boss was spotted chatting with former Haas boss Guenther Steiner in the paddock.
Horner appeared relaxed as he walked through Albert Park on Thursday, as it was rumored that some sort of truce had been agreed between Red Bull’s main parties ahead of this weekend’s race.
Horner’s wife Geri has continued to publicly support her husband, attending the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix events – but it is unclear whether she will travel to Melbourne.
The team principal is not out of the woods yet as his accuser has launched an appeal against the findings of Red Bull’s investigation.
She is said to be unhappy at not having had access to the full sexual file before the internal investigation delivered its verdict.
Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that Horner’s highly-rated right-hand man, Adrian Newey, is in advanced talks to join Ferrari.
Horner’s off-track drama remains the hottest topic of conversation in Formula 1 (pictured, team boss entering the Albert Park paddock on Thursday)
An internal investigation has cleared the embattled husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, who very publicly showed his support for her at the Saudi Grand Prix (pictured)
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen (pictured on Thursday in Melbourne) has won the first two races of the new season.
Technical director Newey played a vital role in designing the Red Bull cars that have brought so much success over the years, including winning the last three world championships with Verstappen.
He has been dubbed the ‘King of Aero’, helping the team become the dominant manufacturer on the track, with the current Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship leaders set to win two more world titles this year.
According to PICTURENewey could be on the verge of leaving the team, with Ferrari increasingly looking to lure the 65-year-old.
Newy has in the past expressed his desire to work with Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari before calling time on his career.
The opportunity now appears to have presented itself, with Hamilton set to join Ferrari in 2025 and Prancing Horse chief Fred Vasseur rebuilding the operation.
Hamilton spoke about Newey ahead of the Saudi Grand Prix.
“I think my move has shown that anything is possible and the next six months are going to be really interesting,” he said.
“As for Adrian, having worked within the (Red Bull) team, I know Adrian obviously gets all the praise for everyone’s work.