By Abhishek Takle
SAKHIR, Bahrain (Reuters) -Red Bull Formula One boss Christian Horner sought to draw a line under a misconduct controversy as wife Geri Halliwell showed her support by joining him at a season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix dominated by his team.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since an independent investigation cleared him on Wednesday of undisclosed allegations made by a female employee, Horner was keen to turn the talk back to the track action.
“Obviously it’s not been pleasant, the unwanted attention, but the focus is now very much on the cars,” said the Briton after Max Verstappen led Sergio Perez to a one-two floodlit victory at the Sakhir desert track.
“My focus has very much been on what’s going on track and the result today, I think, demonstrates where the whole team’s focus is and we move onwards.”
Triple world champion Verstappen led every lap untroubled from pole position and also claimed a bonus point for fastest lap.
Only hours earlier the 50-year-old Horner had walked into the paddock hand-in-hand with Spice Girls singer Halliwell.
Their joint appearance amounted to a show of defiance after an anonymous email purporting to contain evidence submitted as part of the investigation was sent to recipients including the president of the governing FIA, the F1 CEO, rival team bosses and journalists on Thursday.
The email dropped a day after Horner had been cleared of the allegations.
Halliwell did not accompany her husband to the grid, where he was seen publicly shaking hands and posing for photos with Red Bull’s Thai majority shareholders.
But, on their arrival the couple mingled with VIP guests in the team’s hospitality area in full view of photographers and television cameras and later celebrated Red Bull’s one-two finish with the team below the podium.
“I’m not going to comment on what motives whatever person may have for doing this,” Horner said referring to the anonymous email.
“I have the support of an incredible family, of an incredible wife, of an incredible team and everybody within that team and my focus is on going racing and winning races and doing the best that I can.”
When asked if he was confident of staying on as Red Bull team boss for the entire season, Horner, who has repeatedly denied the allegations against him, said: “Absolutely.
“I’ve always been entirely confident that I would be here.
“There was a full, lengthy internal process that was completed by an independent KC (barrister) and the grievance that was raised was dismissed. End of, move on.”
(Editing by Ed Osmond and Pritha Sarkar)
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