Christian Horner yawns his way through practice session at the Japanese GP... as the under-fire Red Bull chief cuts a tired figure in the wake of his 'sex texts' scandal

Christian Horner was pictured yawning during Friday's practice session ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, as speculation continues over his future in the wake of his 'sex texts' scandal.

The Red Bull team principal was cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation in February after being accused of 'coercive behaviour' towards a female employee.

However, text messages largely of a sexual nature that were allegedly sent by Horner were then leaked to senior F1 figures and members of the media just 24 hours after he was cleared, raising doubts over his position once again.

Horner has continued to maintain that he has done nothing wrong, insisting it is 'business as normal', but he cut a tired figure on Friday as he yawned his way through the first practice session at the Suzuka circuit.

The 50-year-old looked a little more sprightly as he held conversations with Max Verstappen and Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko on Friday.

Christian Horner was pictured yawning during practice ahead of this weekend's Japanese GP

Horner was seen chatting with Max Verstappen ahead of Friday's practice sessions at Suzuka

He was also pictured grinning as he spoke to Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko (right)

Horner looked a little more sprightly as he took to the fan stage to interact with the crowd

Rumours of a power struggle between Horner and Marko have refused to go away in recent weeks, but their chat appeared a positive one as Horner was pictured grinning. 

He also made his way to the fan stage to talk to the crowd, and was seen smiling as he filmed the mass of supporters in Osaka.

Mail Sport revealed on Thursday that Horner's former PA, Nicole Carling, is back in the Red Bull fold and is now organising his diary following the fallout that has seen Horner's accuser suspended from her job. Carling is not in Japan this weekend.

Horner's wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is also standing by her husband. The pair put on a united front at the opening race of the season in Bahrain by holding hands as they made their way to the pit-wall, while Halliwell also joined Horner in Saudi Arabia the following week. 

The couple enjoyed a day at the races in Buckinghamshire last weekend as Horner took some time away from F1 over Easter.

Further details have emerged about the fallout from the complaint made against Horner this week, with a close friend of the accuser claiming that she has been left 'intimidated and lonely', and feels 'silenced' after signing an NDA.

Former world champion Sebastian Vettel has also slammed F1's attitude towards women, claiming the sport is 'an old fashioned business in many ways' as he called for 'more transparency' over the sage surrounding Horner.

Horner's wife Geri Halliwell (left) has continued to stand by him win the wake of the 'sex texts' scandal

But former world champion Sebastian Vettel has called for 'more transparency' over the saga surrounding the Red Bull chief

Max Verstappen led the way in P1 as he looks to bounce back after failing to finish in Australia

It was another strong start to the weekend for Red Bull, as three-time world champion Max Verstappen finished top in P1, with team-mate Sergio Perez behind him in second.

The two Red Bull drivers looked in ominous form as they returned to the track after the opening practice session was initially red-flagged when Williams' Logan Sargeant crashed early on. 

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Horner away from the track, Red Bull have still made a dominant start to the 2024 season, with Verstappen winning the opening two races of the campaign in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

However, they did suffer a setback in Australia last time out, as Verstappen failed to finish and Perez only came fifth.