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The woman at the center of Christian Horner’s sexting scandal has reportedly agreed to leave Red Bull for £3 million.
Insiders claim that this substantial payout will lead her to withdraw all allegations against the 51-year-old.
The unnamed woman at the center of Christian Horner’s sexting scandal has reportedly agreed to leave Red Bull for £3 million.
Insiders claim the payout will lead her to withdraw allegations against the former Red Bull chief.
Horner, 51, was dismissed in July.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the unnamed woman was present in the paddock during the Singapore Grand Prix but is now employed by another team.
Horner, 51, denied the allegations against him and was dismissed on February 28.
However, she later sought new legal representation and appealed the decision, according to The Times .
On March 7, the woman was suspended with full pay from Red Bull HQ amid claims that her “honesty was called into question.”
The reasons given were that she appeared dishonest due to inconsistencies in the evidence she provided.
Meanwhile, Horner was dismissed as Red Bull team principal in July following a disappointing result at the British Grand Prix.
He received a payout to leave the team entirely.
Despite this, Horner, who was the longest-serving team chief after spending 20 years with Red Bull, is already exploring options.
SunSport understands that accepting a lower payout offer—where the maximum he could have received was £110 million—means he is free to return to Formula 1 as early as spring 2026.
This has led to speculation about his potential connections with various teams, including Alpine, Aston Martin, and Haas.
Discussions with Haas were confirmed ahead of the upcoming season by team principal Ayao Komatsu.
Komatsu, who replaced the previous Haas boss in January 2024, stated that “exploratory” talks had occurred, but they would not proceed any further.
He mentioned, “It’s true that he approached us, and one of our guys had an exploratory, let’s say, conversation. But that was it. Nothing is going any further. I have nothing more to say on that one.”
Horner’s return to Formula 1 is likely to see him seek more than just a team principal role.
It is understood he desires a position of complete control, likely through acquiring shares in a team—whether partially or through a full takeover.
While Haas lacks the financial resources of many larger F1 rivals, owner Gene Haas has repeatedly shown no interest in selling any part of his shareholding in the team.
However, Horner has faced another significant setback in his return plans, as three more teams have denied the possibility of him joining them.
Speaking at the Singapore Grand Prix, Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell was the first to address the rumors.
He stated, “I had a chat with Lawrence [Stroll], and it seems as though Christian is reaching out to every team owner at the moment. I can clearly say there are no plans for Christian to be involved in either an operational or investment role in the future.”
Alpine’s Steven Nielsen confirmed that Horner had been in discussions with controversial team figurehead Flavio Briatore but had received no indication of Horner joining the French team.
Nielsen remarked, “As far as I know, no. He and Flavio are old friends; what they’ve discussed, I don’t know. There’s no truth to Christian coming to Alpine, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen; this is F1 after all.”
Briatore, a long-time friend of Horner, is seen as someone who could support a Horner bid into Alpine, whose parent company is known for its investments.
James Vowles, fresh off celebrating a first podium as Williams team principal at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, did not dismiss the possibility of an approach from Horner but stated the team is currently satisfied with its structure.
He commented, “We should always welcome a conversation; there’s no point in closing the door. I believe we are very happy with our current
