From crushed to vindicated as the mud fails to stick: JONATHAN McEVOY on how Christian Horner's £8m-a-year position at Red Bull is now massively enhanced… and Geri may join her husband in Bahrain this weekend having stood by him
- Horner was cleared of 'coercive behaviour' towards a woman colleague
- The 50-year-old was subject of an internal investigation after the claims
- His wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, had supported him throughout
Christian Horner flew out of London at 8am on Wednesday unsure whether he was on an immediate round trip to Bahrain, double fuel load required.
His private jet called at Graz to pick up the Red Bull company's motorsport adviser, Dr Helmut Marko, and then flew onwards 3,000 miles to the Gulf. For six hours, his Formula One future hung in the air.
Horner touched down as night closed in, to be greeted by the news he had grown increasingly confident of hearing over the course of the last week or so - namely that he would be cleared of allegations of 'coercive behaviour' towards a close female colleague.
Perhaps he had an inkling of how it would work out, but until the words were issued in black and white at 6.30pm local time, there was still the nagging fear of a last-minute surprise. So he was relieved when the team's parent company, Red Bull GmbH, confirmed: 'The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.'
The jet could be parked up. He will be back in the paddock on Thursday. He will be on the pit wall here for the opening race of the 2024 season.
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Red Bull's Christian Horner has been cleared of misconduct (pictured with wife Geri Halliwell)
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Red Bull launched an investigation into Horner after he was accused by a female colleague
'The complainant has a right of appeal,' the statement added. '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.'
Horner's position as the £8million-a-year head of his hugely successful team is suddenly massively enhanced.
Vindication, then, after he looked crushed and tired at the Red Bull car launch two weeks ago, his usual banter suspended, as he denied the claims that threatened to ruin his idyllic life as the husband of Geri Halliwell, with whom he has a son, seven-year-old Monty.
The CBE he was awarded in the New Year Honours would have looked more than a little tarnished had the mud stuck.
He did not travel over with Geri, though she may well be in attendance before the weekend is over. She has stood by her husband of nine years as the ordeal has rumbled on, since the inquiry was launched on February 5. Now she can emerge from the shadows in a public show of support.
Horner's critics will inevitably highlight a lack of transparency in the adjudication. No evidence has been revealed. But, as Red Bull always pointed out, the inquiry was private and internal. It was not meant to be a public trial.
But that did not stop their incoming engine partners Ford issuing their own warning. In a letter written last Friday, chief executive Jim Farley expressed displeasure at the 'unresolved allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Red Bull Racing leadership'. He was, at the least, calling for the matter to be expedited.
![Former Spice Girl Geri (left) had been devastated by the jolt to their lives caused by the claims](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/28/15/81825865-13134793-image-a-16_1709133105585.jpg)
Former Spice Girl Geri (left) had been devastated by the jolt to their lives caused by the claims
![Horner was present for F1 testing in Bahrain last week ahead of the start of the new season](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/28/07/81810625-13134793-image-a-3_1709107065524.jpg)
Horner was present for F1 testing in Bahrain last week ahead of the start of the new season
Those calls for clarity at the earliest moment were echoed by F1's American owners, Liberty Media. They are allergic to scandal and feared the start of the season would be overshadowed by murky intrigue.
However, I am told that Red Bull's partners, headed by title sponsors Oracle, were informed of the verdict before the announcement, so it is hoped by Horner and his supporters that they have been placated.
Adversaries at rival teams may not be so easily satisfied. But, in the face of the judgment based on a 150-page report undertaken by a KC gathering 60 hours of evidence, it would be an affront to justice for them to overplay their hands. Nor are they all paragons.
On Wednesday, before the verdict was in, Lewis Hamilton, presumably trying some destabilising tactics, said: 'It will be interesting to see how it is dealt with, and the effect that it may or may not have on the sport moving forward.'
In fact, it is not doubters outside his organisation that Horner need worry about. Conjecture suggests forces closer to home have the potential to cause him more headaches.
One aspect is the supposed power struggle within the organisation after the death of Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022. He was Horner's chief protector, the energy drinks mogul who picked Horner as an unknown 31-year-old to head his new team.
Now Mateschitz's son Mark has assumed his father's 49 per cent stake, and the executive leadership was split three ways, with former RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff in charge of all sporting projects, including F1.
That spelt trouble for Horner, and some detected political machinations at play. But he had important cover from Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya, who owns 51 per cent of the company. Who would win the tug of war? Well, I suppose the Yoovidhya-Horner axis has come out of it well - but that is presuming the background music had any bearing on the facts of the case.
Strangely, the female employee who made the accusations remains at work in the team's Milton Keynes factory.
One figure the team principal wants firmly on side is his star driver and triple world champion Max Verstappen.
![The 50-year-old also attended the Red Bull car launch in Milton Keynes despite the allegations](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/28/07/81485801-13134793-The_50_year_old_was_also_present_at_the_Red_Bull_car_launch_desp-a-4_1709107067560.jpg)
The 50-year-old also attended the Red Bull car launch in Milton Keynes despite the allegations
![The announcement comes ahead of the new F1 season getting underway in Bahrain this week](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/28/16/81810791-13134793-The_announcement_comes_ahead_of_the_new_F1_season_getting_underw-a-8_1709139077097.jpg)
The announcement comes ahead of the new F1 season getting underway in Bahrain this week
![Horner's wife and former Spice Girl Geri stood by the Red Bull chief throughout the probe](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/28/16/81831287-13134793-image-a-9_1709139174550.jpg)
Horner's wife and former Spice Girl Geri stood by the Red Bull chief throughout the probe
Speaking before his boss was cleared, the Dutchman offered support, saying: 'He is very important, otherwise he wouldn't have been in that position for such a long time. Everyone is focused on what happens on track and we are in a good mood to get going again.'
The irony is that for all the instability caused by the Horner distraction, Red Bull start the year as clear favourites for the title. Their longer-term stability hinges on Horner being given the freedom to continue in post.
On Wednesday night, for the first time in a long while, that prospect looked significantly more assured.