A new massive leak of alleged messages that appeared to be sexually suggestive in nature on Thursday has put Formula 1’s Red Bull Racing principal and CEO Christian Horner back in the spotlight as the seemingly intimate words to a female employee added new context to the ongoing scandal.
Media outlets and F1 bosses across the sport were anonymously sent the leak of the alleged messages that showed the purported nature in which Horner appeared to be pestering the woman at the center of the controversy.
The files were distributed to nearly 200 people from a generic email account, according to the Associated Press.
One alleged message appeared to show a discussion about a solo sexual act in an aircraft bathroom during a flight to Dubai.
In a purported message to Horner, as reported by The Sun and viewed by The Post, the woman snapped at the Red Bull racing boss and asked him how he would feel if his wife, Geri Halliwell, were the one taking these actions.
That message, in particular, stunned Horner’s wife, the former Spice Girl, according to The Sun, and likely erased the feelings of “relief” she had after Horner was cleared in a workplace misconduct probe by Red Bull’s parent company after he was accused of “coercive behavior” toward a female subordinate earlier this month.
The purported WhatsApp messages show the woman, who reportedly worked at the racing team’s Milton Keynes headquarters, had tired of Horner’s alleged attempts to get her to send pictures or engage in any sexually charged conversations.
There didn’t appear to be any sexual images in the WhatsApp leak, The Sun reported.
The leak was distributed to F1 team bosses, figures in the sport and media outlets under the email subject “Christian Horner investigation evidence.”
Alleged messages from the dump also began to appear on social media sites such as X.
All of this comes 24 hours after Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing by the internal probe.
“I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way,” a statement from Horner on Thursday read. “It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister and it has concluded, dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season.”
The message dump also came just as the F1 season was about to get underway and as Horner’s wife was about to join her husband in Dubai for the opening of the campaign.
The former Spice Girl Halliwell was still in the United Kingdom when the texts were distributed, according to The Sun.
According to the AP, Red Bull said the complainant has a right to appeal its decision.