A report by the BBC now claims that the staff member who lodged allegations of inappropriate conduct against Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has now raised a complaint with the FIA.

Horner was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent investigation carried out by a Kings Counsel and involved hundreds of pages of evidence and hours of deposition.

However, while the issue has seemingly been resolved internally, it has continued to dominate headlines with a public spat breaking out in the weeks since.

That has seemingly created an instance where Horner sits in one camp within Red Bull and Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen sit in another.

It’s now claimed the complainant involved has taken the matter to the FIA, which has issued a statement.

“At the FIA, enquiries and complaints are received and managed by the Compliance Officer, and the Ethics Committee where appropriate,” the statement outlined.

“Both bodies operate autonomously, guaranteeing strict confidentiality throughout the process.

“As a consequence, and in general, we are unable to confirm the receipt of any specific complaint and it is unlikely that we will be able to provide further comment on the complaints that we may receive from any parties.”

It’s the latest development in the saga that became public in early February and threatens to tear Red Bull apart.

The FIA could take an interest in the matter as Horner is party to the International Sporting Code.

Article 12.2.1.c states: “Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally.”

Another clause that could be applicable is Article 12.2.1.f, which covers “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA”.