Geri Halliwell has reportedly asked her husband Christian Horner to cut ties with the female colleague he allegedly sent flirtatious messages.
Red Bull boss Horner has been cleared of inappropriate behaviour towards the colleague, but 24 hours later found himself at the centre of a fresh storm when intimate WhatsApp messages he reportedly sent her were leaked on Thursday, on the eve of the new F1 season.
His wife, former Spice Girl Halliwell, was by his side at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, when the couple was pictured kissing and holding hands in a public show of unity.
But Halliwell reportedly wants the female colleague “out of the picture”, a source told The Sun.
“Although she smiled for the cameras at the Grand Prix, Geri has laid down some strict ground rules,” the source told the news outlet.
“One is that Christian cuts or reduces contact with the woman — but that is difficult because of her role at Red Bull.
“And she has definitely had her say over what messages he sends. For obvious reasons, Geri would like the female colleague — who she knew before her appointment — to be out of the picture as much as possible.”
An F1 insider told the news outlet Halliwell, 51, had shown her husband “nothing but support”.
WhatsApp messages apparently exchanged by Horner and the female colleague were leaked to 149 F1 figures, after an internal investigation by Red Bull cleared him of “inappropriate behaviour” towards the woman.
Horner, 50, had always denied the accusations.
Halliwell was said to feel “humiliated” after the leak and was said to be having crisis meetings.
But despite rumours she would not be attending the F1 season opener, the couple, who have been married since 2015, on Saturday met up at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, where they were pictured smiling, holding hands and sharing a kiss.
Horner had slipped out of the back of Red Bull’s hospitality suite through a gate to meet her as she arrived at the main entrance of the paddock.
They then held hands as they walked through the paddock to Red Bull’s hospitality suite. During the short walk they were mobbed by photographers and TV crews.
The couple were all smiles at lunch where they were later joined by Red Bull’s head of communication and former F1 team principal Flavio Briatore and Red Bull’s majority shareholder, and Horner ally, Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya.
Horner continues to operate in his role as team principal and CEO, although it is understood there is considerable unease among the team's plethora of sponsors and partners.
On Saturday, an emotional Horner said: “I have the support of an incredible family, an incredible wife, an incredible team and everybody within that team.
“And my focus is going racing, winning racing and doing the best I can.
“It was a day about starting the season in the best possible way. My focus is on this team, my family, my wife and racing.”
He was speaking after watching Red Bull driver Max Verstappen race to victory ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in second.
Asked if he is confident he will stay on as Red Bull team principal for the rest of the season, Horner replied: “Absolutely. Absolutely.”
Halliwell, 51, who uses the name Geri Horner, has a son, Montague George Hector Horner, with her husband.
She also has a daughter, Bluebell Madonna, born in 2006, with former partner and screenwriter Sacha Gervasi.
