Vettel Warns Tire Wear Could Ruin Race
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel warned disintegrating tires could ruin his Malaysian Grand Prix after some worrying signs during free practice on Friday.
Vettel, gunning for his fourth straight world title, said he didn't know if Red Bull would be able to stick to their planned pitstop strategy after his tires quickly fell apart on the Sepang circuit.
"I don't know how they could do this," fumed the 25-year-old. "I hope we have enough tires to survive the race.
"You don't have to be a genius to know that if it stays dry on Sunday everything is about the tires. We're still struggling with them, but everybody else is, too."
Much debate has centered on the Pirelli tires, new for this season and supplied to all teams, which are designed to wear out quickly to force more pitstops and make races more exciting.
Kimi Raikkonen's victory in last week's Australian Grand Prix was attributed in large part to his ability to conserve his tires and complete the race after just two pitstops, compared to his rivals' three.
Vettel qualified in pole position in Melbourne but he finished the race third. He is bidding to join Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio as only the third driver to win four world titles in a row, and become the youngest to achieve the feat.
Source: Agence France Presse
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