Less than a day after Formula 1 Red Bull Racing said it was resolved Allegations of misconduct against team boss Christian Horner, in which a team employee was involved, a file allegedly containing potentially incriminating evidence against Horner was leaked to over 200 emails, including to numerous media outlets, Liberty MediaF1, the FIA and the sport’s nine other team principals, AP reported.
The 79 documents reviewed by Assets, consisted mostly of screenshots of alleged WhatsApp message exchanges that appeared to take place between Horner and another person. The messages include images of meals and snacks, nude photos of an unidentified man, suggestive exchanges and what appear to be images of Horner in various outfits, including a jacket and page boy’s cap.
In one exchange, the sender tells the SMS recipient that he can work from home after leaving his laptop at the factory. In another case, the sender and the other party appear to be keeping meeting plans a secret from someone named “Geri.” Horner’s wife is former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. There are several messages asking the SMS recipient to delete their WhatsApp message history, as well as an SMS from the other party asking the sender to “stop” after sending messages that appear to have been later deleted .
Assets has not verified the authenticity of the files; Neither did ESPN or AP, which previously reported on the barrage of messages and images sent from a generic email account. Horner again denied inappropriate behavior after the alleged messages were leaked.
“I will not comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate: I have always denied the allegations,” Horner said in a statement a team spokesman read to reporters via AP. “I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and cooperated fully with it every step of the way. It was a thorough and fair investigation, carried out by an independent specialist lawyer, which concluded that the complaint lodged was dismissed. I’m still fully focused on the start of the season.”
Red Bull Racing did not respond AssetsRequest for comments.
According to a Dutch newspaper, Red Bull launched an internal investigation on February 5th de Telegraph reported allegations of “inadequate behaviour” against Horner, the rejected the allegations. Horner was deleted for misconduct and an employee’s complaints were dismissed.
F1 and Red Bull Racing have a history of turning a blind eye to inappropriate and even violent behavior from big names in the sport. It was former F1 driver Jos Verstappen – father of reigning champion Max Verstappen convicted of assault in 2000 after fracturing a victim’s skull in 1998. He drove in Formula 1 from 1994 to 2003 and often appears in the Red Bull pits on race weekends. Over a decade later the former driver was Adrian Sutil sentenced In 2012 he suffered a serious physical injury and despite not having a racing place that season, he returned to the sport and drove for Force India the next year.
The files were released as Horner attended a practice event for the first Formula 1 race of 2024, which is scheduled to begin less than 36 hours after publication. The event was drawing to a close 1.3 million Spectators in 2023, part of the explosion of sports popularity in the USA in recent years. Accordingly, F1 has an enterprise value of $18.6 billion, including debt Sportico. Its growth is thanks in part to Netflix’s successful documentaries Drive to survive, in which Horner is one of the main characters. Red Bull is considered the benchmark team this season after their victory decisive consecutive team championships. Star driver Verstappen has won three consecutive drivers’ championships for the team.
Horner was and has been instrumental in Red Bull’s success led the team since its inception in 2005, when the energy drink company bought the team from Jaguar as part of its plan to build a Sports empire– and ultimately generate beverage sales. Red Bull invested in its first ten years in Formula 1 $1.2 billion in his eponymous team, which is currently worth $2.6 billion and had an estimated revenue of $510 million in 2023 Forbes. Horner is the one longest serving Team boss in the F1 paddock.
Red Bull has won six constructors’ titles, seven drivers’ titles and more 100 Grand Prix. In 2005, the company further expanded its reach in Formula One when it purchased a second team with its current name Visas CashApp RB, which generated additional revenue of $260 million in 2023. The team also owes its accolades in part to Global Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey, who led the design efforts for all of Red Bull’s championship cars. Per Sports IllustratedNewey and Horner have a mutual protection clause in their respective contracts that ties their fates if one leaves the team.
The team’s success in Formula 1 has, in the company’s own words, ensured that its marketing competition has paid off. In November, Horner said Red Bull Racing’s success was tied to energy drink sales, calling the team “the biggest marketing influence the beverage company has.” The drink has a 13% share of the energy drink market worldwide.
“They see it, they can measure it. “It’s unbelievable how much Red Bull is consumed,” says Horner said CNBC.