Red Bull shine brightest as F1 season fires up but dark clouds hang over Horner

Five takeaways from the opening weekend as Alpine struggle and Verstappen awaits agenuine challenger

- Giles Richards

Horner's F1 career remains in the balance

Christian Horner has endured a torrid month as the team principal of Red Bull after allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against him by a female employee. On Wednesday in Bahrain, he was cleared by an investigation the team's parent company had instigated. He must have felt as if the worst was over - only for an email to be leaked on Thursday to F1, teams, press and the FIA that contained images purporting to show messages between Horner and the employee who made the complaint. Their veracity has not been proved but it was enough to reignite the furore and pile further pressure on Horner.

He and Red Bull battened down the hatches, refusing to comment on the leak, nor to confirm or deny whether the messages were real. Other teams meanwhile demanded transparency. F1 and the FIA are understood to be deeply concerned about the impact it is having on the sport. Horner was bullish after the race, insisting he is going nowhere, but given all that has happened his position remains precarious - not least while Max Verstappen's father Jos, who denied being behind the leaked email, made his position crystal clear on Saturday. "There is tension here while he remains in position," he said. "The team is in danger of being torn apart."