Red Bull battle to maintain focus as Horner saga rages

Team still dominant on the track, and still in disarray off it, will likely come under the spotlight again in Australia

- Giles Richards

After weeks of turmoil at Red Bull Racing, the team's beleaguered principal, Christian Horner, had issued a plea at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, more in hope than realism, that it was time to draw a line under the controversy that had surrounded him and his team.

However, what followed in Formula One's first week off since the new season began dashed whatever faint hopes he must have nurtured and the scrutiny is set to be renewed this weekend at Australian Grand Prix, where the temporary moratorium on the infighting at Red Bull will once more come under intense pressure.

Horner has endured the most turbulent and difficult two months of his career since it was made public in early February that he was being investigated for alleged inappropriate behaviour after a complaint made by a female employee of the team. The grievance was dismissed on 28 February just before the season-opening Bahrain GP.

Horner always denied any wrongdoing but there was to be no respite. A day later an email was leaked to the FIA, F1, the teams and the media that purported to contain messages between Horner and the complainant and since then the storm has only grown.