Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was under renewed pressure on Friday after private messages allegedly between him and a female staff member were leaked to Formula One officials and journalists. Horner, 50, was cleared by the team on Wednesday after an internal investigation into his behaviour towards a female colleague and has vehemently denied the accusations against him. 

On Thursday, a file of messages and pictures was emailed to leading figures in Formula One and dozens of international news organisations, including AFP, from an anonymous source. It is not known if the contents of the file, which cannot be revealed for legal reasons, formed part of the accusations against him.