Christian Horner and Max Verstappen hug it out as Red Bull F1 team put on a reunion

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen have been seen hugging as Red Bull’s F1 team put on a show of unity at the Australian Grand Prix following the ‘sex texts’ scandal.

Red Bull team principal Horner, married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, finally surfaced at Albert Park in Melbourne ahead of the upcoming race after turbulent recent weeks – and appeared to be getting on well with his organisation’s star driver Verstappen.

Horner was seen having a chat with Verstappen and the driver’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, despite the team principal facing criticism from the driver’s father following the ‘sexting’ controversy.

internal investigation was carried out prior to the 2024 season following a complaint made by a female employee at Red Bull and Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing just a day before the first practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix

The 50-year-old managed to evade photographers when he arrived in Australia for the race, and it is not known whether his wife Geri will be in attendance for the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Horner, 50, has continued to maintain his innocence and his Red Bull team have made a dominant start to the season by securing successive one-two finishes, but doubts have emerged over the future of driver Verstappen as a result of the scandal.

Thai businessman Chalerm Yoovidhya owns 51 per cent of Red Bull and has reportedly sent a family member – dubbed the ‘Thai spy’ – to keep tabs on Horner and the wider company.

The drama could potentially tear the Red Bull operation apart, with Horner on one side and Max and his father, Jos, and Red Bull chief Helmut Marko on the other.

Jos Verstappen has called for Horner to be removed, while Max insisted that he would quit the team if Marko were to leave.