Christian Horner has revealed how his wife Geri Halliwell responded after the former Red Bull chief learned he had been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague. An investigation into his conduct began in February 2024 and he was cleared following an internal investigation, though alleged messages between the two parties were leaked shortly after the verdict. An appeal against the decision was dismissed that August.
Horner's initial reaction
Horner, who consistently denied the accusations, served as Red Bull team principal and CEO for 25 years, leading the team to six constructors' championships and eight driver world titles before being relieved of his duties in July 2025. Away from the F1 paddock, the 52-year-old has been married to former Spice Girl Geri since 2015 and he has shared how his wife chose to stand by him throughout the texting scandal that rocked their personal lives.
In his new book Drive, Horner detailed his initial reaction when first hearing of the allegations made against him during a phone call with a lawyer: "'This can't be right,' I said, eventually, wanting to ask more questions but not knowing where to begin. What was going on? The lawyer, presumably aware that a wrecking ball was being aimed at my life, explained the situation as my sense of bewilderment rose."
Geri's advice
Shortly after the conversation, Horner relayed the situation to Geri, with whom he shares a son and two other children from their previous relationships. "In the kitchen, Geri was getting the family ready for school," he wrote. "When everyone had been packed off for the day, I walked downstairs and broke the news.
"Geri knew by my face that something was very wrong. 'What's up?' She frowned as I repeated what the lawyer had said. She fell silent as she listened. We both understood the implications immediately. She looked at me. 'Just tell your truth,' she said. 'That's all I can do,' I replied."
Public support at Bahrain GP
The Red Bull chief subsequently returned home from a visit to the factory and could not hide his worries from his wife. Horner lauded the pop star's show of strength as their lives came under further scrutiny. "When I returned home and told Geri about my concerns, she reassured me that everything would be all right," he continued. "Her resilience was remarkable. Our lives had been turned upside down, yet she found the strength and conviction to support me through an immensely difficult period, one that was undoubtedly challenging for her as well.
"Her belief in me gave me the determination to move forward. At a time when my confidence was being tested, Geri provided the perspective and stability that I needed most. Without her support, I'm not sure I could have navigated those months in the same way. 'Well, the higher you rise, the sharper the knives,' said Geri. Her logic was hard to argue against."
The 54-year-old made her feelings clear on the matter by publicly supporting her husband in March 2024. Following the leaked messages just days earlier, depicting alleged text message exchanges, voice messages and conversations between Horner and a female Red Bull employee, Geri stood by her husband during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Reflecting on the event, Horner wrote: "I didn't comment on any of this speculation. Geri was on her way to Bahrain. After she arrived, we walked hand in hand into the paddock on race day as a media scrum jostled around us."
Christian Horner's book Drive is out on Thursday, October 22.
