Christian Horner will be cleared of “coercive behaviour” following an investigation into the Red Bull team principal.
The 50-year-old husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell had faced allegations over his conduct towards an employee. It remains to be seen whether he will remain in his £8million-a-year role.
The allegations were made by a close colleague at the racing team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH in Salzburg, confirming an internal investigation on February 5.
They appointed a KC from London to lead the investigation. He heard 60 hours of evidence, including at least eight hours from Horner in a single day, before producing the crucial 150-page report that was presented to the company’s wider board on Wednesday.
Horner was awaiting his award as he took his private jet on the 3,000-mile journey from the UK to Bahrain for the season-opening race this Saturday.
Christian Horner will be cleared after a Red Bull investigation (pictured with wife Geri Halliwell)
Horner was the subject of an investigation after a colleague accused him of ‘inappropriate behaviour’
Former Spice Girl Geri (left) was left devastated by the impact on their lives caused by the claims.
He was said to be in good spirits as the day progressed, hoping his name would be cleared upon landing in the Gulf kingdom this afternoon. She did not appear in the paddock.
Former pop star Geri, mother of his seven-year-old son Monty, has staunchly supported him throughout the ordeal. She is said to be “devastated” by the impact on her lives, which they split between her farm (and stables) in Oxfordshire and a house in north London.
Horner has won 13 world championships since leading the team as a 31-year-old in 2005. He was then the youngest team manager on the grid, but is now the longest-serving team manager.
He attended pre-season testing in Bahrain last week before returning home, and his position seemingly strengthened as the days progressed.
But he appeared to face forces aligned against him within the organization, despite the veracity of the allegations.
Ford, which will partner with Red Bull from 2026, led calls for a quick conclusion to the saga. In a letter written last Friday, CEO Jim Farley expressed his displeasure over “unresolved allegations of inappropriate behavior by Red Bull Racing leadership.”
F1’s American owners, Liberty Media, echoed those calls for clarity from the get-go.
Horner’s position was also apparently undermined by the death of the energy drinks magnate who gave him his big break 19 years ago at the helm of the new Red Bull team. Dietrich Mateschitz died in 2022 of cancer, a tragedy that inevitably shook the management structure, leaving executives fighting for positions. A key driver is believed to have been Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO and former CEO of RB Leipzig, who was said to have resented Horner’s power.
Horner was present at F1 testing in Bahrain last week before the start of the new season.
The 50-year-old also attended the Red Bull launch in Milton Keynes despite the allegations.
The announcement about Horner comes before the new F1 season begins in Bahrain this week.
This may come as a relief to Horner’s wife Geri, who supported her husband during the investigation.
Horner, however, maintained the support of Red Bull’s Thai faction, led by Chalerm Yoovidhya, son of the firm’s co-founder Chaleo. Chalerm, as heir to the company’s fortune with a 51 per cent stake, is estimated to be worth £30bn. He appeared intermittently at races and could be seen in long, friendly chats with the Englishman, even as Verstappen claimed the third of his consecutive world titles in Qatar last October.
Another significant voice was that of Red Bull’s 80-year-old motorsports advisor Dr Helmut Marko, an Austrian believed to be more in line with Mintzlaff than Horner.
“Marko had his contract renewed last year, but his money was halved,” said one well-placed F1 figure. “There is this idea that he wanted revenge on Horner and wanted him gone.”