Christian Horner updates — Red Bull boss meets with Max Verstappen’s representative as tensions rise amid text scandal
RED BULL boss Christian Horner has met with representatives of Max Verstappen in a bid to calm rising tensions at the racing team.
The meeting came just hours after Verstappen's father warned Red Bull would "explode" if Horner kept his job.
Max's manager Raymond Vermeulen is believed to have attended the meeting on behalf of the Verstappens, who were not present.
A source said the summit - reportedly attended by senior Red Bull figures - "went well".
Horner has come under fire in recent weeks after "sexually suggestive" texts were leaked allegedly sent by the boss to a female colleague.
Read our live blog below for the latest news and updates...
Christian Horner and Geri Halliwell could be ‘shunned by celeb pals’ amid sext scandal
The celebrity pals of Christian Horner and Geri Halliwell could be set to "shun" the couple amid the F1 boss' "sext" scandal, a source has said.
An F1 source told the : "The humiliation is very hard for Geri.
"I think that will be the main problem. The other Spice Girls are very sympathetic and all feel really conflicted about Christian now.
"All those celebrity friends of hers who were happy to hang out with him will also be steering very clear. It's a bad mess."
Geri Halliwell ‘feels a fool’ for trusting Christian Horner as star set to decide next move
Geri Halliwell “feels a fool” for trusting husband Christian Horner.
The singer is now facing “the biggest decision of her life” following a slew of leaked texts that allegedly show her husband “sexting” a Red Bull employee.
She is unlikely to attend the upcoming Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia.
How much does Christian Horner get paid?
Christian Horner is believed to be the highest-paid principal in Formula One.
According to Red Bull accounts, Horner made a staggering £40.2million from 2011 to 2022.
His 2022 pay from Red Bull was listed at £8,044,000, which was almost £3million higher than the £5,085,000 salary he bagged a year earlier.
Max Verstappen's father slams Christian Horner for 'playing the victim'
Jos Verstappen has slammed Christian Horner for “playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems”.
The dad of three-times World Champion Max added of Horner: “There is tension here while he remains in position.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode.”
Christian Horner 'confident' of Red Bull support
Christian Horner led Red Bull into the new F1 season on Saturday, with Max Verstappen cruising to victory.
Afterwards, Horner was asked: “Are you confident you have the full backing of everybody above you and you’ll be leading this team in Jeddah next weekend?”
He replied: “Yeah, absolutely – I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
Horner also added: “You don’t achieve this kind of result by not being united.”
Geri Halliwell 'lays down strict ground rules' for husband Christian Horner
Geri Halliwell has made sure to lay down some firm ground rules for her husband going forward, an insider claims.
A showbiz source said: “Although she smiled for the cameras at the grand prix, Geri has laid down some strict ground rules.
"One is that Christian cuts or reduces contact with the woman — but that is difficult because of her role at Red Bull.
“And she has definitely had her say over what messages he sends. For obvious reasons, Geri would like the female colleague — who she knew before her appointment — to be out of the picture as much as possible.
“But they cannot sack her as there are no grounds to do so.”
Insider 'doubts' Geri Halliwell will attend next F1 race
Geri Halliwell will not be by her husband's side at the upcoming Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, an insider has said.
The former Spice Girl and Christian Horner but a show of solidarity in Bahrain, despite a slew of "sexts" allegedly sent by the Red Bull boss to a female colleague leaking online.
An inside source told The Sun: “Christian will be heading to Saudi Arabia for the race next weekend and I doubt Geri will be there."
'Frustration' as Red Bull tries to continue 'business as usual'
A source has highlighted the growing frustration at Red Bull amid the Christian Horner text scandal.
The source told The Sun: “It’s frustrating for everyone and ridiculous to try to maintain business as usual in the circumstances.
“The woman’s role involves continuing contact with Christian and they are having to get on with day-to-day work as though nothing has happened. But something has to give.
“She wanted to fly to Bahrain in her work role but that would have created a circus which no one wants and would be good for no one.
“Everyone at Red Bull and the wider world of F1 knows the identity of the woman at the centre of this."
Credit: PA wire Everything you need to know about Christian Horner’s life and career
- 1973 – Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
- 1991 – Wins a Formula Renault scholarship after impressing in karting races
- 1993-1997 – Competed in a host of competitions including British Formula Three, British Formula Two, and Formula 3000
- 1997 – Founded and developed the F3000 team Arden
- 1999 – Retired from driving and continued developing the Arden team
- 2005 – Appointed head of Red Bull team, becoming the youngest ever team principal at that time
- 2009 – Wins his first races as team principal with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber
- 2010 – Wins the Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship with Vettel – the first of four doubles in a row
- 2013 – Has a daughter with ex-wife Beverly Allen shortly before the couple split
- 2014 – Gets engaged to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell
- 2015 – Marries Halliwell in Woburn, Bedfordshire
- 2017 – Horner and Halliwell welcome their son
- 2021 – Wins another Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen, pipping Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season
- 2022-23 – Red Bull win the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship two years in a row
Christian Horner ‘still in contact with accuser’
Christian Horner is "still in contact" with a colleague who accused him of sending "sexually suggestive" messages.
Sources told The Sun today the employee even asked to fly to the Bahrain Grand Prix to support the team last weekend.
Geri — who staged a toe-curling public show of support for Horner in Bahrain — is said to want the woman “out of the picture”.
Christian Horner’s departure could be ‘very destructive’ for Red Bull, says former F1 driver
Should Christian Horner leave Red Bull, it could be “very destructive” for the team’s championship hopes, Jacques Villeneuve has said.
He told : “When you have those sorts of issues and negative energy in a team so close to the start of the season, it can be very destructive.
“You need good energy around you to get that extra tenth (of a second) to confirm you have made the right calls on strategy. This issue with Horner could be very detrimental to Red Bull.”
Friends fear leak could ‘destroy’ Geri Halliwell
Friends of Geri Halliwell fear the latest bombshell will “destroy” the mum-of-two, who shares seven-year-old son Monty with Christian Horner.
One pal told the : “It has all come crashing down.
“The tears stopped when the judgment came in on Wednesday, now they absolutely will have started again. This will destroy her.
“All along Christian promised there was nothing in it.”
Verstappen continues dominance
Max Verstappen remained in a class of his own as he cruised to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday.
He thundered away from the lights at a rate that was nearly a second a lap quicker than his rivals.
By the 10th lap, he’d stretched his advantage to eight seconds and by the time he made his pitstop on lap 18 it was a terrifying lead of 30.4 seconds.
He stopped for tyres and started making his lead back up again. It was impressive and demoralising in equal measure.
Last year, Verstappen had been unstoppable, winning 19 of 22 races. There had been some hope based on pre-season testing that Ferrari and even Mercedes, would offer him more of a fight.
But on this evidence, it looks all too easy as he coasted to victory ahead of his Perez in second place.
When did Christian Horner receive an OBE?
In 2013, Christian Horner received an OBE for services to motorsport in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, after guiding the Red Bull team to three drivers’ and constructors’ championships in a row.
At the time, Horner said: “I just feel very honoured and privileged to receive it.
“To be in the company of men and women who have achieved such great things for the country is something very, very special.”
Horner posts on Instagram for first time since sext leak storm
Christian Horner took to Instagram to express his gratitude to the Red Bull Racing team in his first post since the sext leak scandal.
“What a weekend. The perfect start to the season,” he said.
“A big thank you to all the hard working team back in Milton Keynes for all their work over the winter to produce another great and very competitive car.
“To our stakeholders, illustrious partners and everyone here in Bahrain, thank you for your unending support and commitment to get us off to the best possible start.”
Geri Halliwell ‘knows woman’ at the centre of Christian Horner scandal
Geri Halliwell is personally aware of the woman at the centre of Christian Horner’s alleged “sexting” scandal.
A Red Bull insider said: “Geri knows of this woman, and had no qualms about their working relationship.
“This was the woman for whom her husband turned. Again, this is a bitter, bitter pill to swallow.”
'There is tension here'
Speaking after his son won this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen senior hinted "victim" Horner should resign.
He told the Daily Mail: "There is tension here while he (Horner) remains in position.
"The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode.
"He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems."
Horner ‘holds face-to-face meeting’ with Max Verstappen’s agent
Christian Horner met with Max Verstappen's rep on Monday in a bid to calm soaring tensions in his F1 team.
The crisis talks in Dubai came just 48 hours after the Dutch driver's dad, Jos, said Red Bull would "explode" if Horner remained in his job.
Max's manager Raymond Vermeulen is understood to have acted on behalf of the Verstappens, who weren't in attendance.
A source said the summit - reportedly attended by senior Red Bull figures - "went well".
Geri Halliwell demands husband Christian Horner cut ties with colleague
Geri Halliwell has demanded her scandal-hit husband Christian Horner cut contact with the female colleague he is accused of sexting.
The Spice Girl, who staged a public show of support for F1 boss Horner in Bahrain, wants the employee “out of the picture”.
Geri Halliwell ‘read Christian the riot act’ behind scenes in Bahrain
Geri Halliwell shared an awkward hug and a cringey kiss with hubby Christian Horner amid the sexts leak — but there were “fireworks” behind the scenes, sources said.
The Spice Girl, 51, presented a united front with the under-fire F1 Red Bull boss before and after Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
She had landed in the Middle East on Thursday night, as a torrent of sexually suggestive WhatsApp messages and pictures between Horner, 50, and a female employee began to circulate worldwide.
Sources said furious Geri “read the riot act” to him but put on a brave face for the cameras — to her husband’s “relief”.
Christian Horner responds to questions over his future
Christian Horner gave a defiant response to questions over his Red Bull future following a dominant win at the Bahrain GP.
The team principal is caught up in an alleged “sexting” scandal after being cleared of misconduct by an internal probe.
The 50-year-old was allowed to lead Red Bull into the new F1 season that begun last Saturday, with Max Verstappen cruising to victory as he continued his dominance from last year, while team-mate Sergio Perez finished second.
Afterwards, Horner was asked: “Are you confident you have the full backing of everybody above you and you’ll be leading this team in Jeddah next weekend?”
He replied: “Yeah, absolutely – I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
Horner also added: “You don’t achieve this kind of result by not being united.”
Watch: Horner in ‘video row’
Christian Horner and Max Verstappen’s dad Jos were seen locked in what looked like a fiery argument during the Formula One season opener.
Reports of cracks in the Red Bull camp follow Horner‘s embarrassing sexting scandal – where intimate text messages sent by him to a female colleague were leaked online.
Watch moment Christian Horner & Max Verstappen’s dad Jos have ‘heated’ exchange as team ‘torn apart’ by sext rowHorner on Red Bull’s ‘great start’
Embattled Red Bull boss Christian Horner was delighted with his team’s performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen cruised to victory while team-mate Sergio Perez finished second.
Speaking after the race, Horner said: “Testimony to the hard work behind-the-scenes – maximum points today.
“It’s an aggressive evolution. The design team has done a wonderful job, they’ve pushed hard, you can see there’s innovative ideas. It’s a strong evolution.
“It’s a great start, it’s not a one off. We’re going to have to see four or five races before we see a true pattern. You can’t base too much on this one race.
“It was a great performance by Max and the perfect start to the season. He’s got to keep performing like he did today. He made a couple good passes and drove a strong race. A one-two finish is the optimal.
“We have got a tremendous support, tremendous partners and great shareholders behind us as well.”
Horner posts on Instagram for first time since sext leak storm
Christian Horner took to Instagram to express his gratitude to the Red Bull Racing team in his first post since the sext leak scandal.
“What a weekend. The perfect start to the season,” he said.
“A big thank you to all the hard working team back in Milton Keynes for all their work over the winter to produce another great and very competitive car.
“To our stakeholders, illustrious partners and everyone here in Bahrain, thank you for your unending support and commitment to get us off to the best possible start.”
Where do Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner live?
Geri and Christia own two country homes in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire.
The property in Oxfordshire has garnered a lot of attention online and boasts its very own duck pond, which they use for boating.
The farm also houses three miniature donkeys, horses and goats in the estate’s stables.