Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsRed Bull Racing

Horner praises Vettel for win

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Christian Horner was full of praise for his former driver's triumph in Malaysia, conceding that Sebastian Vettel's win, while bad for Red Bull, was healthy for F1.

Vettel managed to beat both Mercedes cars in a straight fight at Sepang, showing strong pace as well as impressive tyre management to carry out a two stop strategy. Horner said the performance delivered by Vettel shows Ferrari has got a car capable of being a threat on a number of occasions this year.

"Sebastian drove an incredible race, so congratulations to him and Ferrari," Horner said. "He's obviously got a very good feel for the car, it's driveability and he's very good at looking after the tyres, so in that situation he's quite often unbeatable. It was classic Sebastian and on a personal note I'm quite happy for him."

Focusing on the race weekend, Red Bull's team principal recognised the cars' brake problems were a contributing factor to Red Bull's lack of pace.

"Although he had a damaged front wing as a result of a contact at the start with Rosberg, Daniel settled in and seemed to be pulling away," said Horner. "We even gained a place when the Safety Car came out, but as soon as the cars were running in the traffic, temperatures started to get out of control, mainly the brakes, which took us a bit by surprise, and we really didn't have any pace. We just had to manage the second part of the race to make sure we got to the end."

Click here for Sunday's gallery from the Malaysian Grand Prix

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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.