Formula 1News

Ron Dennis doubts Vettel had exhaust/spark-park problems, thinks the Red Bull driver was conserving fuel

Ron Dennis has cast doubts on Red Bull’s claim that Sebastian Vettel suffered a spark-plug failure while leading the 2010 season opener in Bahrain last weekend. He eventually finished fourth after losing power in the later stages of the race.

Initially an exhaust problem was blamed but that was subsequently clarified by an official statement from the team.

But former McLaren boss Dennis was not convinced. “The lap times dropped so rapidly that one can imagine the electronic control unit (ECU) switching to a conservative programme to save fuel,” he said.

“The problem with the Red Bull could be design. It could be the fuel tank is too small, or the fuel consumption is higher than they expected.”

Source: ESPNF1