PHOTO: AFP /FILE
The Red Bulls of world champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were the quickest cars in qualifying and both started off the front row of the Australian Grand Prix grid. Yet three-time champion Vettel had to settle for third behind race winner Kimi Raikkonen in a Lotus and runner-up Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
Vettel laid the blame on tyre degradation, while Webber had issues with his car’s telemetry compounded by a below par pit stop as he finished sixth.
Red Bull are expecting the tropical heat in Sepang to be more to the team’s liking.
“I think in the cooler conditions we weren’t in the optimum window with these tyres,” said team principal Christian Horner. “We leave this race knowing we’ve got a good car and we’re looking forward to warmer temperatures.”
Vettel, chasing a fourth consecutive world driver’s title this year, said it was not the outcome he was expecting.
“It’s always disappointing when you start first and don’t finish first, but it was a good weekend,” said Vettel. “In the race we were a little aggressive with the tyres and lost the front and the rears, while others did better.”
McLaren are another team looking to improve after taking just two points out of Melbourne.
They were off the pace and Jenson Button, who finished ninth, was well down the field throughout the 58-lap Melbourne race, while Mexican teammate Sergio Perez finished 11th.
“Having won the Australian Grand Prix three times, ninth place isn’t really much to write home about,” lamented Button. “Hopefully we can understand our car a bit better.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2013.
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