Formel 1 Christian Horner
Anonymous emails put Red Bull team boss under renewed pressure
As of: 3:52 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
By Michel Milewski, Enrico Ahlig
Christian Horner
Source: dpa/David Davies
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Christian Horner, Red Bull’s Formula 1 boss, is said to be having a spicy affair. His employer exonerated him – but now, shortly before the start of the season, WhatsApp history was leaked.
One email was enough to send the dominant Formula 1 team, Red Bull, flying out of the curve before the start of the season. On Thursday, 4:16 p.m. German time, a message made the rounds in the premier class of motorsport. It consisted of just one sentence: “Following the recent investigation and statements from Red Bull, you will be interested in the attached documents.”
The recipients, who also included the top management of the world association FIA, nine of the ten team bosses and selected media representatives, were able to view 79 documents via a link. A racing team boss was missing from the distribution list: Red Bull boss Christian Horner. And yet the Brit probably knew best about the contents of the appendix.
There you could see dozens of screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation between Horner and an employee reporting to him. It has not been confirmed whether this is actually real correspondence between the most powerful man at Red Bull and the woman who is said to be one of his closest confidants in the racing team. However, no one in the Formula 1 paddock doubts its authenticity.
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Not just because the WhatsApp display image in the screen recordings was actually the one Horner had been using until then – the Brit has now changed it. But also because the team boss did not deny it in a public statement. After publication, Horner simply said through a spokesman that he did not comment on “speculation.”
External law firm investigated
It actually seems to be the real news that led to an internal investigation against the team boss. Red Bull had an external law firm investigate for weeks, and both Horner and the employee had to undergo interrogation. Result: Horner was acquitted. And the whole of Formula 1 has been asking itself since looking at the 79 documents: How is this possible?
Horner confessed to the employee in question, among other things, that he had masturbated on the plane after she had made him “hot”. To then add that it was his wish that she would have accompanied him to the airplane toilet. It is one of many examples that show that Horner, who has been married to ex-pop star Geri Halliwell (“Spice Girls”) since 2015, and his employee had an affair.
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But the truth is that Horner wasn’t the only one who wrote offensive things. The employee, who was previously unknown to the public, also expressed her affection. In appendix 67 you can see a message in which she writes that she cannot come to his hotel room at a Grand Prix because Horner’s wife is there.
“This is a private matter”
As the leaked messages progress chronologically, their tone changes: the employee blocks things more and more often, referring to the Horner couple’s marriage and children. She also tells her boss that the situation is taking a toll on her physically and mentally. Horner shows understanding, but remains stubborn. Video calls – sometimes after midnight – happen again and again.
Nevertheless, Horner was acquitted by Red Bull. When contacted by WELT AM SONNTAG, the energy drink manufacturer said: “This is a private matter between Christian Horner and another person. It would be inappropriate for Red Bull to comment on this.” Horner apparently does not have to fear for his job for the time being.
