Christian Horner’s female colleague who accused the Red Bull F1 boss of “inappropriate behaviour” is set to appeal the outcome of the internal investigation, according to reports.

Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing after a month-long probe, conducted by an external lawyer, while the woman who made the allegations was suspended by Red Bull last week. She does have a right to appeal, though, and The Sun report that she is set to appeal after changing her legal representation, with the deadline either today or tomorrow.

The team’s long-term motorsport adviser Helmut Marko will now also stay with the team, after talks with Red Bull GmbH chief Oliver Mintzlaff in Jeddah, when initial reports suggested the 80-year-old may be suspended.

“If such an important pillar falls away, it is not good for my situation and I have told the team that,” Verstappen said.

“He is an important part in my decision-making for the future. For me, Helmut has to stay. I have a lot of respect for him, and what we have achieved together. It goes very far.

“He has built this team together with Dietrich [Mateschitz] from day one. And he’s always been very loyal to the team, to everyone within the team, to make sure that everyone would keep their positions already from back in the day.

“I think it’s also very important, of course, that you give the man a lot of respect for what he has done. And that comes back also to loyalty, you know, and integrity. So, yeah, for sure, it’s important that he stays part of the team, also for me.”

First here’s a look back at what has happened so far:

The timing couldn’t have been more unfortunate. It was the day of the Brits, the awards show for which, back in 1997, Geri Halliwell sewed a Union Jack tea towel onto a black micro-mini dress, creating an image that would remain lodged in the national consciousness forever.

That Geri, the one with her knickers on display and blonde streaks in her flame-red hair, was cheeky, fun, supremely confident: the embodiment of the Girl Power message the Spice Girls promoted everywhere they went. Men were nice, they declared, but women didn’t need them to make their dreams come true. They could achieve that all by themselves – or, better still, in union with their female friends.

“It’s like anything in life, you can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper,” Horner said after Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“If somebody didn’t want to be in this team, then we’re not going to force somebody against their will to be here.

“That applies whether it is a machine operator or a designer or someone in one of the support functions that runs through the business.”

After reports in the Austrian press that Horner could be fired prior to the Australian Grand Prix (24 March), Red Bull released the following statement:

“As Christian has said, he is grateful for the full support of the shareholders and that remains the case.”

Christian Horner’s wife has made a quick dash back home after attending Saturday night’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.

F1 TV presenter Laura Winter produced a moving piece to camera in Saudi Arabia on International Women’s Day – admitting it has not been easy being a woman working in the sport in light of recent events.

The complainant still has the right to appeal the outcome of Red Bull’s internal investigation, which cleared Horner of any wrongdoing.

But after what has been a difficult month, with the role of women in Formula 1 brought back into the limelight, Winter sent a defiant message to those working in the sport and female fans, insisting: “We are here to stay and we are right where we belong.”

The CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing was accused and then cleared of “inappropriate behaviour” towards a female colleague, who has since been suspended following an internal investigation.

On Mother’s Day (Sunday 10 March), the 50-year-old shared a picture of Halliwell holding their son, along with a caption about his appreciation for mothers. He included images of his daughter, as well as a picture of what appeared to be his own mother.

By the end of a surreal 48-hour whirlwind, the beaming smile could not be wiped off Ollie Bearman’s face. The 18-year-old British driver woke up on Friday morning eager to stamp his mark on his second year in Formula 2, having clinched pole position for the series’ feature race in Saudi Arabia. Yet by Saturday night, he was a Formula 1 driver – the third-youngest ever – who had just scored six points on his debut driving for the sport’s most illustrious outfit. Not half bad.

It may well have given Ferrari chairman John Elkann watching alongside Bearman’s father David, whose pride was radiating in the Scuderia garage, a rather odd sensation. Elkann was the mastermind behind persuading Lewis Hamilton to gamble his career finale on a tilt with the prancing horse next year. But in finishing seventh in Jeddah, Bearman held off the challenge of Hamilton and Lando Norris on his tail with an assured and faultless drive.

A drive which should have got tongues wagging up and down the paddock.

The motorsport adviser and Verstappen ally said on Saturday that he has held talks with Oliver Mintzlaff and will be staying at Red Bull.

A huge relief for the team, given Verstappen’s loyalties to the 80-year-old Marko.