These are some of the grubby texts allegedly sent by Red Bull boss Christian Horner to a subordinate female employee – from a request for a ‘Santa PJ selfie’ and suggestive comments about ‘stretching legs’ to regular jokes about Spanx.
Horner returned to the paddock in Bahrain today with his future once again in the spotlight after hundreds of WhatsApp messages were plastered all over social media.
Geri Halliwell’s husband was cleared to continue as Red Bull team principal on Wednesday following an internal probe into ‘inappropriate behaviour’ – which he has always denied.
But just 24 hours later, texts apparently exchanged between Horner and the complainant were sent from an anonymous email to 149 journalists and leading figures in F1 – leading to friends warning that his marriage to Geri was ‘in question for the first time’.
Christian Horner in Bahrain today, where friends of Geri Halliwell say she is unlikely to join him
The Spice Girl is seen with Horner at the World Premiere of ‘The Moonwalkers’ last December
As well as putting his marriage under threat, Horner, 50, is also at risk of falling foul of the moral behaviour code set by F1 governing body the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
This can be breached if ‘any words, deeds, or writings have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members, or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motorsport and on the values defended by the FIA’.
Sources close the employee have questioned the ‘one-side’ decision to clear Horner and feel it should be looked at again after the leak of the crude messages her boss allegedly sent her.
Meanwhile, Halliwell flew out to Bahrain last night before the email containing the leaked messages was sent.
The Spice Girl is said to be ‘having the meltdown to end all meltdowns’ over the leaks.
Shortly after the leak yesterday, Horner released a statement which read: ‘I will not comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate I have always denied the allegations.
Below, we reveal a selection of the messages, which are now being circulated on social media –
‘Good to stretch yours’: Suggestive jokes
Many of the texts leaked online take the form of playful exchanges underlain by sexual innuendo.
One exchange with Horner apparently sending the woman a picture of him in an airport after landing, to which she replies: ‘Be good to stretch your legs’.
‘Exactly,’ Horner allegedly writes, before adding: ‘Good to stretch yours’ followed by a laughing emoji.
‘Wow,’ the woman responds.
A second begins with the WhatsApp account said to belong to Horner writing ‘can I make a confession’.
A following text refers ‘when we went to Dubai last year on the plane’… ‘and you got me out of control’, followed by a reference to a solo sex act.
In another exchange, ‘Horner’ tells the woman to ‘call any time’ before adding ‘I don’t have sleep mode’ alongside a smiley face emoji.
‘Santa PJ selfie needed’: Photo requests
Several of the texts said to have been sent by Horner to include requests for selfies.
In one he appears to tell the woman he needs to do some packing before adding: ‘Santa PJ selfie needed’.
In another, the pair are discussing preparations for a trip, with the woman explaining how a colleague had ‘sent me a pic’ of a travel document.
‘You could send me a pic,’ Horner allegedly replies, followed by a winky face emoji.
‘It’s what’s in them that counts!’ Spanx jokes
‘Horner’s’ enthusiasm for Spanx crops up repeatedly in the leaked WhatsApp chats.
‘Still in the spanx?’ the account said to belong to Horner asks in one exchange.
‘Yep,’ the woman replies, adding: ‘What do you like about them so much.’
‘You look very attractive in them,’ ‘Horner’ writes.
‘You must know that.’
The woman then says, ‘They are just leggings’, eliciting the response: ‘But it’s what in them that counts!’
Other messages mentioning the figure-hugging womenswear include: ‘I keep thinking about spanx’ followed by a laughing emoji.
The account claimed to be Horner writes another time: ‘Thanks for the spanx; Thanks for coming.’
Another time ‘he’ sends the woman a message of a dessert, which includes a tart.
‘Spanx and tart’ a following message reads, followed by a crying with laughter emoji.
‘Delete this chat’: Worries about messages
The leaked WhatsApps include several times when ‘Horner’ asks the woman to delete the texts they have exchanged.
At one point, he appears to send three messages requesting his colleague does this within 30 minutes of each other.
These state: ‘Did you delete the entire chat?
‘Sorry to chase but did you delete?
‘I really would prefer if you did like I did so there is a fresh start [hands clasped emoji].’
Other times, ‘Horner’ appears to regret some of his texts.
One reads: ‘Sorry i thought you were sending me a message with your clothing today and i interpreted it incorrectly – sorry.’
REVEALED: The little-known clause in Formula One’s rules which could land Christian Horner in yet MORE hot water after texts and emails allegedly sent by the Red Bull team principal were leaked
By Tamara Prenn
Christian Horner could yet find himself in breach of an obscure clause in Formula One’s International Sporting Code after a tranche of inappropriate texts and photographs – appearing to be between the Red Bull team principal and a female employee – was circulated anonymously on Thursday afternoon.
The FIA’s International Sporting Code contains a sub-section of an article which hints at the moral responsibility competitors have to the organisation, and outlines that being in breach of their rules is ‘punishable, whether (…) committed intentionally or through negligence’.
Article 12.2.1f states that a competitor could be found in breach of their code for: ‘Any words, deeds, or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members, or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motorsport and on the values defended by the FIA’.
Horner vowed to fight on within hours of the scandal deepening, and is now preparing for tomorrow’s Bahrain GP
Should the FIA wish the launch their own investigation into the alleged texts and photographs, Horner and Red Bull’s management of the investigation, or the impact the media storm could be having on how the sport is viewed, whether the email has brought F1 into disrepute could be examined, with potential sanctions handed out.
Some of Horner’s peers were initially unsatisfied with the team’s parent company’s statement upon clearing the team head on Wednesday, which stressed that their KC-led investigation was ‘confidential’.
Neither the sport’s owners, Liberty Media, or the FIA have seen the 150-page report, and Mercedes team principal was among the first to call for greater transparency over the investigation.
Horner and Geri Halliwell at the Larkhill Royal Artillary Point to Point
Halliwell is said to be ‘highly unlikely’ to fly out to Bahrain to join her husband. Pictured: Their wedding day in 2015
‘I believe with the aspiration as a global sport, on such critical topics, it needs more transparency and I wonder what the sport’s position is?’ Wolff told reporters.
‘We’re competitors, we’re a team and we can have our own personal opinions or not. But it’s more like a general reaction or action that we as a sport need to assess, what is right in that situation and what is wrong.
‘Are we talking with the right moral approach, with the values based on the speculation that is out there?’
McLaren CEO Zak Brown echoed his comments as he advocated for the sport’s owners and organisers to ‘make sure that all the racing teams and the personnel and the drivers and everyone else involved in the sport are operating in a manner which we all live by.’
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was one of the recipients of the anonymous email
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was among the voices in the sport calling for greater transparency over the investigation
In the wake of the circulated email, Horner doubled down on asserting that his ‘full focus’ was the upcoming race weekend.
‘I will not comment on anonymous speculation,’ Horner said, ‘but to reiterate I have always denied the allegations.
‘I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way.
‘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.’
A spokesperson for Red Bull GmbH called the development a ‘private matter’ in a short statement.
‘It is a private matter between Mr Horner and it would be inappropriate for Red Bull to comment on this,’ their missive read.