KERS for Kubica but not Ferrari in China 16 Apr 2009
This weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix is set to see different cars using KERS. Robert Kubica is expected to test BMW Sauber’s system in Friday practice, while Ferrari will run without theirs following problems at the last round in Malaysia.
To date BMW Sauber have only raced KERS on the car of Kubica’s much lighter team mate Nick Heidfeld, who suffers less from the weight penalty that comes with using the system. However, with the team believing the layout of the Shanghai circuit could bring benefits even to the Pole, they plan to use Friday’s practice sessions to find out.
In contrast, Ferrari have opted to drop their KERS system for the China weekend after the reliability issues that hit Kimi Raikkonen at Sepang, instead choosing to focus on other elements of the F60’s performance, which has thus far proved disappointing, failing to bring the world champions a single point.
The other teams that used KERS in Australia and Malaysia - McLaren and Renault - are both expected to continue with their systems in Shanghai.
