Horner settles for 'damage limitation' in Monza

07 September 2014 05:16

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner said his team achieved their pre-race aim of 'damage limitation' on Sunday after Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the Italian Grand Prix.

Horner said the result was the best that the team could have hoped for. "I think fifth and sixth was the absolute optimum today," said Horner.

"We picked two different strategies, an aggressive one with Sebastian to undercut the McLaren while with Daniel we took the opposite approach as he was in clear air."

Australian Ricciardo was delighted after a series of overtaking moves, even if he missed out on a third consecutive victory.

"It was good fun," said Ricciardo, who is third in the overall standings, 72 points behind German leader Nico Rosberg of Mercedes.

"The start was not planned, but we recovered well and kept a cool head. The race really came to life at the end and the overtaking kept me smiling in the car!

"I had confidence on the brakes and around this track that helps. It was fun. My lead is around 60 points over Seb (Vettel)."

"I would love to be quicker on merit and not need team orders, but the next couple of tracks are perfect for us -- so if we need to make any decisions -- and if we can challenge Mercedes for the title -- then I am sure they will be made."

Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton turned a poor start into a dramatic victory ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Rosberg to cut the German's lead in their battle for the drivers' championship to 22 with six races remaining.

Red Bull's four-time world champion Vettel of Germany is sitting sixth in the overall standings.

Source: AFP