Christian Horner is threatening legal action against a Formula One magazine that named the female employee with whom he allegedly shared lewd messages.
The magazine’s website crashed on Monday under the weight of internet traffic following publication of a lengthy article on the case. It prompted Horner’s lawyers at Harbottle & Lewis to fire off two legal letters accusing the magazine of publishing an “unlawful” article that was defamatory but also preached privacy and data protection rights.
Horner’s lawyers demanded the article’s removal, which it said had caused serious harm to Horner, the chief executive of Red Bull Racing.
Horner, 50, was cleared of ‘controlling behaviour’ last Wednesday following an investigation by an independent barrister on behalf of Red Bull’s parent company. But a day later flirty and occasionally lewd WhatsApp messages purportedly between Horner and a female employee at Red Bull were sent via an anonymous email account to journalists as well as team principals and senior officials in F1.
The magazine, which is available only online, identified the woman at the centre of the controversy as well as making a number of claims relating to events at Red Bull.
Horner, who is married to Geri Horner (nee Halliwell), 51, a former member of the Spice Girls, denies any wrongdoing and was photographed with her at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday in a public show of support from his famous wife.
