The woman at the centre of the Christian Horner sexual misconduct allegations which threaten to blow apart the F1 Red Bull racing team has worked for RedBull for four years, MailOnline can reveal.
The attractive blue-eyed blonde’s claims against 50-year-old Horner have lit a fuse under not only the highly successful motorsports team, but also Horner’s marriage to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
The woman, who MailOnline is not naming, was identified in a piece published by BusinessF1 Magazine today.
Sources claim that last year Horner began to develop a ‘superiority complex at Red Bull’.
The BusinessF1 piece claims: ‘There were incidents where Horner sent her text messages during Grand Prix weekends with a request to come to his room.
Christian Horner (pictured) is at the centre of sexual misconduct allegations which threaten to blow apart the F1 Red Bull racing team
Horner is seen kissing his Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell before the Bahrain Grand Prix last week
Sources claim that last year Horner began to develop a ‘superiority complex at Red Bull’
Horner was cleared of wrongdoing last month following an internal investigation at Red Bull into ‘coercive behaviour’ towards the colleague. However messages said to be between the pair were subsequently leaked.
The leak of messages seems to show that Horner sent her suggestive texts and intimate photographs believed to be the main evidence in her complaint to Red Bull GmbH. There were reportedly over 100 text messages and photographs.
According to the article, the woman who studied at Edinburgh University and comes from a wealthy background, began working in motorsport in the mid 2000s after being hired in her summer holidays, and then after graduation as an intern.
She enjoyed the job at Red Bull initially, especially the travel and the excitement of the F1 grid.
But sources close to her claim that after a few years Horner’s attitude changed and she didn’t know how to handle the change in their relationship.
‘At first she was flattered but then horrified at the personal implications,’ it was claimed.
The new allegations came out as footage emerged of scandal-hit Horner having a blazing row with his nemesis Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull’s star driver Max.
Red Bull have denied bombshell claims from a F1 trade magazine over Horner in a 19-page investigation which names the female member of staff he allegedly texted
The new allegations came out as footage emerged of scandal-hit Horner having a blazing row with his nemesis Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull’s star driver Max
Horner and wife Geri Halliwell put on a united front during the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday
However, Horner’s attempts to move on from the scandal have been hampered by the publication of the long investigation into the case by BusinessF1.
The article makes a series of new allegations against Horner and documents the apparent power struggle at the top of Red Bull.
Sources close to Horner have dismissed the piece as ‘full of inaccuracies’, but it may be seized upon by his critics.
Foremost among these has been Verstappen’s father Jos, who has warned that the ongoing scandal was ‘driving the team apart’.
Footage has emerged of the pair having an animated exchange at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday.
The article claims that when the woman first made her claims, Horner’s first call was to former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, 93, for advice.
Despite the controversy off-track, on the circuit Horner’s Red Bull team got the season off to a perfect start, with Max Verstappen winning the season-opener ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
However, Max’s father Jos has emerged as one of Horner’s most vocal critics, with the pair filmed having a heated conversation after qualifying on Friday night.
Horner and Geri Halliwell after Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhi
Jos (right) told Mail Sport that Red Bull would ‘explode’ if Horner kept his team principal role
Some of Horner’s affiliates are said to have speculated whether V snr may have been involved in moves to unseat him for the past few weeks, the implication being that the Dutchman even had a hand in the email leak.
Verstappen has denied the claims, saying: ‘That wouldn’t make sense. Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?’
‘There is tension here while he (Horner) remains in position,’ Jos exclusively told MailSport.
‘The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.’
The Telegraph reported that Verstappen’s father has told friends his son will move on from Red Bull if he has to.
Verstappen Snr was seen speaking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff during the weekend of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Mercedes have an empty seat for the 2025 season, though Verstappen is contracted at Red Bull until 2028 and is currently driving for the dominant team in Formula One.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk