Red Bull boasts quality of RB14 chassis despite 'Achilles heel'

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Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner believes the team's RB14 chassis was the class of the field in 2018, praising the car's results despite its undeniable weak point.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit secured four wins this season, a total equally split between its two drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, but was ultimately weighed down compared to its front-running rivals by costly reliability issues and the relative under-performance of its Renault engine.

Nevertheless, when it came to track layouts where chassis efficiency trumped outright power, the RB14 was in a class of its own according to Horner.

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"It’s clear we have had a fantastic car this year," said the Red Bull Racing boss, speaking to Formula 1's official website.

"RB14 has been the strongest chassis in F1 this year. When you consider the power deficiency, we have had this year, what we have achieved – four victories – is very impressive.

"We had a strong car at the beginning of the year, we just weren’t able to capitalise. Reliability has been our Achilles’ heel this year.

"We had too many engine failures and we had a few issues on our own which have been frustrating. We were able to optimise the car through the season.

"We were using the tyres very effectively compared to our competitors. It’s a combination of factors."

While reliability woes determined Red Bull Racing's low points in 2018, Horner was happy to recall the team's most significant achievements of the year.

"I think it’s been a bittersweet season in many respects," he added.

"The victories have been extremely sweet, winning in China, in Monaco, winning our home Grand Prix in Austria, and of course Mexico. They’ve been the undoubted high points.

"Generally on a Sunday we’ve had a very strong race car, and the drivers, when they’ve been able to, have raced extremely strongly."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.