Geri Halliwell will attend the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix after her husband Christian Horner’s accuser was suspended by Red Bull.
The woman accused the Red Bull team principal 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’.
The former Spice Girl attended the Bahrain GP on Saturday in a defiant show of support for her husband, 51, with sources now claiming she continue to stand by her man by travelling to Saudi Arabia this weekend.
A source told Sun Online today: ‘It was tough for Geri in Bahrain but she was determined to show her marriage is still strong and she will do the same at the Saudi Grand Prix.
‘Christian has been full of praise for her support and she wants the world to know they are still very much a couple.
‘She has lived her life in the public eye for years as a Spice Girl and can deal with the attention.’
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
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is pictured on March 8 during practice ahead of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
Horner faced reporters in a press conference yesterday 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 and former Spice Girl had been ‘hugely supportive’ but admitted the scandal had been ‘very trying’ on his family.
‘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.’
Christian Horner faced a barrage of questions on Thursday following a week of unwanted headlines
Red Bull boss has so far resisted calls for him to resign from the position he has held since 2005. Horner is pictured on March 7 ahead of the F1 Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia
Horner was seen laughing with Max Verstappen in the garage ahead of practice on Thursday
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.
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.’
Geri Halliwell accompanied Horner on race day last week in a defiant show of support for her embattled husband
The couple celebrated with an awkward looking hug after Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday
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.