2014 RED BULL
There were clues that Red Bull might not enjoy the dominance that had earned it a full house of drivers’ and constructors’ trophies between 2010 and 2013. For one, its final effort at a 2.4-litre V8 machine in the RB9 had been developed late into the year to help Sebastian Vettel to a last crown. Plus, Red Bull was about to wave goodbye to the blown floors it had unlocked so successfully.
Then, the dawn of the 1600cc V6 turbo hybrids exposed a relationship between chassis engineers in Milton Keynes and the Renault engine department that was far more diffuse than a true works team operating under one roof. Making matters worse, Mercedes had been testing a single-cylinder set-up for four years already.
And Red Bull would pass FIA crash tests two months later than its rivals.
These were bad signs. But few would have predicted a four-day pre-season test at Jerez as abysmal as that of January 2014.
Autosport ran headlines declaring
‘crisis’, ‘disarray’ and ‘disaster’ after the
RB10 completed just 21 laps over four days.
Not only was that the fewest of any team, but the squad also propped up the timing screens as a litany of problems were revealed. Overheating, vibrations, faults with the turbo, and software and mapping issues were chief among them.
Three wins for Toro Rosso graduate Daniel Ricciardo salvaged some credibility, as did second in the teams’ championship while
Ferrari could only muster fourth behind Williams. But finishing almost 300 points behind Mercedes reflected the chasm that had opened as Red Bull tumbled from its perch.