Sebastian Vettel may have won the season opening Australian GP without using KERS, but the temporary power boost isn’t as vital in Albert Park as it is in our Sepang International Circuit, which has long two straights. With this in mind, Red Bull Racing will use KERS at the Malaysian GP next weekend.
“We plan to have it on the car for Malaysia. The KERS effect here (Australia) is less, as the run to the first corner is shorter. So that is our main exposure, which is why we didn’t want you guys to tell the rest of the world that we didn’t have it. In Malaysia there is a relatively long run to the first turn, and we will be keen to get it on the car as soon as possible,” team boss Christian Horner told Autosport.
It has been revealed that KERS was disengaged from the RB7s of Vettel and Mark Webber because of reliability worries. This wasn’t widely known at the start because Red Bull wanted to hide the fact from the opposition.
“We tested it, we ran the system earlier in the weekend and we decided that there was a potential, albeit small chance, of a reliability issue with it so we elected not to run it this weekend. But obviously we didn’t want to tell the world – although looking at the start the guys had, it looked like we didn’t need it,” Horner revealed.
By the way, Red Bull fans can head to the Red Bull Speed Street event that’s happening this weekend in downtown KL. Former RBR driver and now BBC pundit David Coulthard will do street demos in an F1 car. Read our previous post for more info.
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I want KERS and adjustable spoilers equiped on my car too :D
Amazing stuff! Would like to see it in action!
If they’re fast without KERS, imagine the car with it.
yeah.. imagine the reliability as well mate, as concerned by Horner. ;)
in 2009 ferrari, mclaren n sauber also ran into several KERS-related problem, although it was freakingly fast if the KERS works well..
Yes, but once RB sorts out the kinks in their KERS, it might turn F1 into a bore again. :)
i smell something fishy with insanely fast red bulls in 2010, and it turned out to be the “wing flex” and the floor thingy.
same goes with this year’s red bull.. hmm….
which is malaysian tv channel is broadcasting 2011 F1 session??
anyone know??
exactly…i was watching last week’s race and the camera kept showing hamilton deploying the kers on the straights behind vettel just to make sure he does not pull away…he could not even get near him let alone pass….the pace of that red bull is really something…if the kers works for them.and if the rest dont catch up…the season could be a one team affair like how ferari were early in the decade….
They can use the KERS only when others have improved enough to close in on them.