Geri Halliwell left ‘humiliated’ by leaked Christian Horner messages

Friends have reportedly said the saga could 'destroy' her

Horner is the team principal at the Red Bull Formula 1 team and the longest serving team principle on the grid.

In recent weeks, he had been under investigation in recent weeks after a female employee of the Red Bull Formula 1 team accused him of "inappropriate and controlling behaviour."

The 50-year-old has vehemently denied the accusations and on Wednesday was cleared following an a three week investigation carried out by an external lawyer.

But the following day, an unknown individual leaked a series of WhatsApp messages between Horner and the colleague to 149 key figures and journalists involved in F1.

This included F1 teams, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali.

The leak reportedly contained almost 80 screenshots of hundreds of messages.

According to the Daily Mail, the former Spice Girl has been left "extremely humiliated" by this latest development.

Friends of Halliwell told the publication the revelation of the leaked messages could "destroy" her.

Meanwhile, the Sun reports that she has been "stunned" by the leaked WhatsApps.

In a statement following the leaked messages, Horner reiterated his denial of the allegations.

He said: "I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations.

"I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way.

"It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season."

It is not yet clear whether the leaked messages will lead to the investigation being reopened.

The F1 season is set to get underway this weekend with the Bahrain GP. Qualifying for the race gets underway at 16:00 GMT on Friday.

Horner has been present in the paddock since arriving in Bahrain on Wednesday

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