Max's dad key player in Red Bull soap opera

YOU could be forgiven for forgetting that Red Bull had a perfect weekend on track at the season-opening grand prix in Bahrain.

- Matt Majendie

A-Max Verstappen victory, a Red Bull one-two, pole position and fastest lap to lay down a marker for their rivals that they already look nigh-on invincible.

And yet Christian Horner still dominates the paddock conversation from the investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague to the Google Drive awash with leaked WhatsApp messages.

Team principal Horner has been vindicated from any wrongdoing by an external lawyer and has been given backing by the Red Bull board to remain in post.

He may well be sleeping in the spare room of the Hampstead home he shares with his wife Geri in the fall-out from it all despite the couple putting on a united front in the wake of those leaked messages.

With just five days until race two of a marathon 24-grand prix season, there is barely time for the F1 paddock to catch its breath from a weekend that has seemed more soap opera than the cutting edge of motorsport.

But what next for Red Bull? Clearly, there are warring factions at play behind the scenes. Does that now peter out or is there more explosivity to come? No one knows for sure.