There are many famous faces trackside at the F1 Grand Prix, but where is Geri Halliwell?

There were many famous faces trackside at the Grand Prix on Friday, but conspicuously missing seemed to be the wife of beleaguered Red Bull boss Christian Horner, ex Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell.

Alice Coster

@aliceheraldsun

2 min read

March 22, 2024 - 9:24PM

Entertainment

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Where in the world is Ginger Spice?

Forget the drivers and the roar of the F1 engines starting, all the chatter off the track was if Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice from 90s UK pop band the Spice Girls, aka the wife of beleaguered Red Bull boss Christian Horner, was hitting Melbourne’s GP.

Talk was revving up that Horner’s woes are far from over despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal team investigation for sexting misdemeanours.

Horner was apparently left “hurt” by Geri’s decision to set some rules, with a source quoted as saying: “Christian was initially hurt by the idea of a list of rules and said it felt like her showing distrust.

Christian Horner with Geri Halliwell at the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah on March 9, 2024. Picture: AFP

“She insisted that while she still loves him, she has to protect herself and urged him to put himself in her shoes to understand the torment she’s endured with the public humiliation and embarrassment.

“Christian eventually backed down and has agreed to do whatever it takes.”

He was being a good boy on Friday, keeping a very low profile as he reportedly hangs on to the backing of Red Bull’s major shareholders, the Yoovidhya family.

But while Red Bull are continuing to support the 50-year-old, there could be consequences for the rest of the team.

Reports have suggested Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull in the near future, with a move to Mercedes being mooted.

The Silver Arrows are yet to confirm a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who is joining Ferrari at the end of the season.

Verstappen is the best driver on the planet right now, having won the last three F1 titles – ending Hamilton’s dominance of the sport in the process.

Lewis Hamilton at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Picture: AFP

And it was recently claimed Red Bull, if push comes to shove, are ready to choose Horner over the 26-year-old.

Horner has remained defiant throughout the ordeal, having been team principal of the team ever since his appointment in 2005.

Interestingly, his understudy Jonathan Wheatley revealed he was ready to go should his boss fall on his sword.

Wheatley, the Red Bull sporting director, was at a charity function for Race Against Dementia on Thursday night which was hosted by F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart.

When asked by host Elise Elliott if he might be ready to take over given the controversy, Wheatley didn’t rule out a shuffling of the decks.

There were no such issues over at the Mercedes AMG Lounge on Friday with team CEO Toto Wolff pressing the flesh and happily mingling with fans.

Wolff was happy to fuel the fire that Mercedes is keen to lure reigning champion Max Verstappen (whose father is embroiled in the Red Bull scandal) to replace Lewis Hamilton next year.

Elsewhere on a beautiful sunny Melbourne afternoon, the celebrities were taking in the F1 practice sessions with tennis WAG Morgan Riddle looking trackside chic having arrived at the track at 6.30am because of jet lag.

Morgan Riddle at the F1 Grand Prix. Picture: Getty

“Today feels a little bit more corporate because of practice,” Riddle said. “But I am really looking forward to tomorrow and Sunday where people really show out their trackside fits.”

Supermodel Jess Hart was mingling in the Mercedes AMG Lounge while over in Channel 10 F1 cult hero Guenther Steiner, a breakout star of Drive To Survive, hobnobbed with our Top Gear Australia’s hosts inside the Channel 10 marquee.

But among all the action, there was no sign of Ginger.