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Red Bull to run KERS in Malaysia

ESPNF1 Staff
March 28, 2011 « DRS to be reviewed after China | »
Sebastian Vettel didn't need KERS for the short run to the first corner in Melbourne © Getty Images
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Christian Horner has said that Red Bull aim to have KERS on its car in Malaysia, having removed the system at the Australian Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel took pole by over seven tenths of a second in Melbourne, and went on to take a comfortable race win, despite not having the power boost available to him. Horner said after the race that the system had proved unreliable and that the benefits around Albert Park were outweighed by the risk.

With Malaysia featuring two much longer straights, however, Red Bull's team principal confirmed that the team would look to solve any issues in order to restore the system for Sepang.

""We will run KERS in Malaysia," he told the Guardian. "It was a very marginal decision not to run it (in Australia). In Malaysia there is a long run to the first turn and we are keen to get it on the car there."

The system will add performance to an already dominant Red Bull, and the team's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said that even without the system the car could go quicker than it did in Australia, with Vettel pacing himself throughout the race.

"Sebastian based himself on his opponents, setting his pace according to the competition -- especially Hamilton," Marko told RTL. "We just wanted the gap for a pitstop or in case the safety car came out. In the end he was just protecting the tyres. We still have some more in it (the car)."

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