• First Barcelona Test, Day Two

Reliability issues hit Vettel's race run

Sebastian Vettel caused a red flag late in the day due to a wheel not being properly attached at a pit stop © Sutton Images

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Sebastian Vettel admitted his planned race simulation on day two of the second test in Barcelona was halted by reliability issues.

Having set off on a race simulation during the afternoon session, Vettel's run was suspended for 45 minutes at the end of his first stint. After he resumed the simulation Vettel caused a red flag during the final hour of running when he came to a halt at the end of the pit lane but he said neither stoppage had been a major issue.

"We had issues with reliability and couldn't do as many laps as we wanted but it's better that these things happen today rather than in Australia," Vettel said. "It was nothing dramatic, just small things.

"We had to stop the car once as we saw a small loss of pressure and then towards the end of the day it looks like after the stop the wheel wasn't on properly. So I had to stop again, cause the red flag and it just takes too much time to turn everything around, so we couldn't get out again."

Vettel also said it was hard to judge how competitive the RB9 feels due to the rapid degradation suffered with the Pirelli tyres.

"It's been very difficult I think; similar to all the other people struggling with the tyres! Struggling to make them last, I think you see fairly rapidly lap times go off … arguably it's a little bit too cold - it's not that cold - but arguable too cold for the tyres.

"Obviously it's fairly difficult to read because the tyres are such a dominant factor but I think we're there or thereabouts from what we can see."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.