Christian Horner‘s accuser has been dramatically suspended by Red Bull, it emerged today – as the F1 boss broke cover in Saudi Arabia without his wife Geri Halliwell ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix.
The woman member of staff accused the Red Bull team principal of ‘coercive behaviour’ – a claim he was cleared of in an internal inquiry conducted by the team’s parent company in Salzburg last Wednesday.
EmmanuelsBlog understands the decision to suspend her from her duties at the factory in Milton Keynes is a direct result of the findings of the investigation. The unnamed employee was still in work as late as this week.
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.
What Next For Horner?
Horner, the 50-year-old husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is in Saudi Arabia for this weekend’s grand prix and will face the press later today.
He has vowed to continue in £8million-a-year job despite an email coming to light last week detailing intimate exchanges purportedly between him and the woman concerned.
The Woman Member of Staff Can Still Appeal
She 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.
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.
Details of The Investigation
‘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.’
Today’s shock move comes after Halliwell reportedly demanded her husband cuts ties with the female colleague and wants the woman ‘out of the picture’.
