Red Bull have suspended the female employee whose complaint triggered the scandal that has shaken Formula One.
The woman accused team principal Christian Horner of ‘coercive behaviour’ – a claim he was cleared of in an internal inquiry last Wednesday before WhatsApps of a supposedly suggestive nature were leaked the following day.
Mail Sport understands the decision to suspend her is a direct result of the findings of the investigation. She was told her evidence was ‘dishonest’.
Today, Horner, 51, faced reporters and admitted that the saga had taken its toll on his family, while fending off questions on the woman at the centre of it.
He also said his wife Geri Halliwell had been ‘hugely supportive’ but admitted the scandal had been ‘very trying’ on his family.
Christian Horner faced a barrage of questions on Thursday following a week of unwanted headlines
Geri Halliwell accompanied Horner on race day last week in a defiant show of support for her embattled husband
The couple looked in good spirits throughout the day and shared several kisses on a successful day on the track for the team
‘It’s obviously been a very trying period,’ he said. ‘I’m married and have three children. And when that intrusion includes your children and the scrutiny that is placed upon your marriage.
‘I’m very fortunate that I have a beautiful family and very supportive wife. Of course, It’s very trying, it’s very challenging. When there’s children involved, parents, families, it’s not pretty.’
He added that the grievance had been ‘dealt with in the most professional manner’ by Red Bull’s parent company GmbH, which had appointed one of the top ‘KCs in the land’.
‘He interviewed all of the people involved, as well as others of interest. He looked at everything and he came to the conclusion where he dismissed the grievance. As far as I am concerned, and as far as Red Bull are concerned, we moved on and we look to the future. The time now is to draw a line under it.’
Referring to the messages sent last week, he said: ‘I think there’s been an awful lot of leakage around this in what is a private and confidential matter between the employees and company.’
But he refused to comment further on the employee’s suspension, saying that the ‘grievance process’ was ‘confidential between the individuals and the company’.
Following the dramatic suspension announcement, a spokesman for Red Bull said: ‘We are unable to comment on an internal employee matter.’ The inquiry heard 60 hours of evidence and culminated in a 150-page report by a London QC.
The employee can still appeal the outcome of the inquiry. The window to do so extends five days from when the official legal letters were served to both parties, which is believed to have been on either Monday or Tuesday of this week.
Red Bull boss has so far resisted calls for him to resign from the position he has held since 2005
Halliwell will not be in attendance in Saudi Arabia for the second Grand Prix of the season
Horner was seen laughing with Max Verstappen in the garage ahead of practice on Thursday
Horner, whose team made the perfect start to their double title defence in the season opener, was keen to bring attention back to the Grand Prix on Saturday.
After fielding a barrage of questions of the topic, he called for the invasion into his private life to cease and attention turned towards racing.
‘The intrusion on my family is now enough,’ he said. ‘We need to move forward. It’s time now to focus on why we’re here, which is to go Formula One racing.’
Last week, in anticipation of the letters, Red Bull’s GmbH issued a statement saying: ‘The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.
‘The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial.
‘The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and, therefore, we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards.’
Thursday’s shock move comes after Halliwell reportedly demanded her husband cuts ties with the female colleague and wants the woman ‘out of the picture’.
She mounted a show of support for her beleaguered husband at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, with the couple kissing and hugging in front of the cameras before Max Verstappen claimed victory for Red Bull.
It also follows claims in The Times the female colleague had been given until Wednesday to file an appeal against the decision to clear Horner of controlling behaviour.
The pair have continued to work together since the scandal broke, with insiders reportedly saying the ‘status quo’ could not continue and either the woman or Horner would have to leave.
Early on Thursday, the Red Bull team principal was spotted deep in talks with a colleague in Saudi Arabia’s capital city Jeddah, as he faces growing pressure over his position.
Horner has been publicly criticised by star driver Max Verstappen ‘s dad Jos – with the pair seen rowing with each other last week.
While Ginger Spice may have stood by her husband in a show of solidarity this weekend, insiders said the pop star wanted the female employee ‘out of the picture’.
Jos Verstappen (right), who has the been the vocal opponent of Horner, will not be present in Saudi Arabia this weekend
A source previously told The Sun : ‘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.’
The source added that Red Bull cannot sack the woman because there are no grounds to do so.
An F1 insider also told the publication that Halliwell, who shares a son, seven-year-old Monty, with Horner, had shown ‘nothing but support’ to her husband but is unlikely to be at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix next weekend because she is ‘incredibly busy’.
Horner is facing calls to quit his role and has been accused by Verstappen’s father, Jos, of ‘driving the team apart’.
Verstappen Snr, who manages his world champion son Max, told Mail Sport in Bahrain: ‘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. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.’
Horner also addressed the growing rift, saying: ‘I spoke to Jos following the grand prix and obviously congratulated him on his son’s performance. And I think it’s in everybody’s interest, collectively, that we’ve agreed to move on, to focus on the future.
‘We both have a vested interest in his son, to provide the best cars for him and to get the best out of him, and he’s started the season in the best possible way.’
Red Bull Racing refused to comment on the ‘internal matter’.
