Albon gets new race engineer as Red Bull strengthens trackside team

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Red Bull has strengthened its trackside engineering team ahead of this week's British Grand Prix, adding to its crews race engineer Simon Rennie who will work exclusively alongside Alex Albon.

Rennie, an experienced Red Bull race engineer who previously with Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo, stepped back from a travelling role a few years ago to work at Milton Keynes.

But the Briton will return trackside, replacing Mike Lugg who will move back to the team's factory.

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The change follows a challenging opening three races for Albon whose performances have lagged those of team mate Max Verstappen.

However, both drivers have complained of the "unpredictable" nature of Red Bull's RB16, although Albon's beef is mainly with the car's behavior in qualifying trim.

"Obviously as a team, it hasn’t been an ideal start to the season but aside from the DNF [in the Austrian GP], we’ve been able to score some good points.

"I think with that being said, the car can only improve so I’m feeling positive. We know the areas we need to work on and with Silverstone being a home race close to the factory, that’s good news.

"I think we can hopefully get a good result there, historically it’s been a pretty good track for the team, and it’s one I really enjoy driving.

"I think we have a very good race car, so once we get on top of our Saturday qualifying trim, we should be in good stead for the Sunday races."

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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.