MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Formula One champion Max Verstappen will bid to win back-to-back Australian Grands Prix on Sunday and match his record of 10 successive race victories even as Red Bull struggle to move on from off-track controversy.

Another chequered flag at Albert Park would see the Dutchman equal last year's run of 10 wins from Miami to the Italian Grand Prix and leave rivals dwindling further in the rearview mirror.

Verstappen led a Red Bull 1-2 with Sergio Perez at both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, though the early season triumphs have been tempered by team discord and allegations against boss Christian Horner.

Horner was cleared of alleged misconduct toward a Red Bull employee but the unidentified woman lodged an appeal after her complaint was dismissed, British media reported last week, ensuring the controversy will rumble on in Melbourne.

Red Bull GmbH, the Formula One champions' Austria-based parent company, has not commented on the reports but said before the season that the accuser had a right of appeal.

While the saga has had no perceivable impact on Verstappen's performance, the driver's father, Jos Verstappen, said after the Bahrain Grand Prix that the team risked being torn apart if Horner stayed in charge.