Vettel worried about tire degradation

Red Bull Racing showed good performances in the first day of testing for the Malaysian Grand Prix as Mark Webber set the best time in the first session while his teammate Sebastian Vettel rose to second place in the afternoon, just 19 thousandths behind Kimi Räikkönen. The first tests highlighted the high level of degradation of the Pirelli tires, which nevertheless brought its hardest tires in its range. But the very abrasive Sepang track could once again put several teams, and in particular that of Milton Keynes, in difficulty.

“It’s another meeting (after Melbourne) and the tires are different (with the arrival of hard compounds), commented Sebastian Vettel in the Sepang paddock. “I think the tire degradation was pretty big for everyone. We have tried several things to improve this point but it is up to us to learn the right lesson and progress in the right direction. We weren't really able to work this afternoon because of the weather. I hope we have enough tires to survive the race. Tomorrow will be another day. There could be rain and things change quickly in Malaysia. »