The unnamed woman at the centre of the Christian Horner scandal has been paid £3million to leave Red Bull, according to sources connected to the team.
The employee, whose identity is protected by legal anonymity, has agreed to move on and drop her allegations in return for the fee.
She was in the paddock at the Singapore Grand Prix, and has taken up a new position at another team.
Horner is no longer involved in the sport though seeks a route back after he was elbowed out by Red Bull in July. He was cleared of allegations of inappropriate behaviour by two internal investigation and denies any misbehaviour.
He has since taken an £80m pay-off and wishes to return to F1 next Spring, subject to his severance package’s obligations.
Horner’s representatives have been approached for a response.
Horner’s former Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell, 52, stood by her husband after the explosive accusations rocked the Formula One paddock last year. Horner has vehemently denied the claims throughout.
Screenshots of alleged WhatsApp messages between Horner and a Red Bull employee were leaked anonymously the day after a three-week investigation, carried out externally, cleared him of all allegations.
Horner survived accusations of coercive behaviour towards his colleague – and was twice cleared in internal investigations of wrongdoing.
Horner’s eventual departure from Red Bull marked the end of a career at the Milton Keynes-based team that yielded eight drivers’ and six constructors’ world titles in two verses of success, first with Sebastian Vettel and then Max Verstappen.
He served as team principal from Red Bull’s inception on the Formula One grid in 2005 and was consistently flanked at tracks around the world by wife Geri.
He was summarily relieved of the role following the British Grand Prix, the decision being announced by Red Bull GmbH, the Austria-based energy drinks’ parent company, on July 9.
Horner, 51, was given no explanation for his firing – but it is understood that he fell victim to a power struggle.
Matters were coming to a head at the Red Bull Ring, venue of the team’s home race in Spielberg, a week before the British GP. Results were dire in Austria: Verstappen, who qualified seventh, retired after colliding with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli (who was to blame for the accident) and Yuki Tsunoda was 16th and last of the finishers.
This week it was claimed that Horner has been in touch with ‘pretty much’ every team since he was sacked by Red Bull in July, according to Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell.
‘It looks as though Christian is ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment,’ said Cowell.
‘I can clearly say there are no plans for the involvement of Christian in an operational or investment role in the future.’
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed Daily Mail Sport’s story that Horner had had tentative talks with the US-owned team, saying: ‘We were approached but nothing has gone any further. It is finished.’
Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen added his the French-led team’s adviser and interim team principal Flavio Briatore was an ‘old friend’ of Horner.
Nielsen added: ‘I don’t know what they talk about. Everything I know is there are no plans for Christian to come to Alpine but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.’
