Teams differ on KERS use
Robert Kubica will use BMW's KERS system for the first time in Friday practice in Shanghai but Ferrari will not use theirs in China.
Last Updated: 16/04/09 1:18pm
Robert Kubica will use BMW's KERS system for the first time in Friday practice in Shanghai, but Ferrari will not use theirs this weekend in China.
Kubica did not use the team's Kinetic Energy Recovery System in the first two races as there were concerns the additional weight of the system would place him at a competitive disadvantage.
The Pole is relatively tall and heavy for a Formula One driver and it was decided the weight disadvantage would negate the power increase KERS affords.
Team-mate Nick Heidfeld, who is shorter than Kubica and weighs less, used it in both the Australian and Malaysian grands prix.
However, Kubica has confirmed that he will be testing the device in Friday's two practice sessions for the Chinese Grand Prix with the aim of racing with it on Sunday.
"We will have to test and see," Kubica told autosport.com. "For sure we have seen this from our view, especially in Malaysia but also in Australia, it was an advantage.
"Of course running on my car there are some disadvantages that are bigger than for the other (drivers), but I hope still the advantage will be bigger than the disadvantage, but we will see."
He added: "The balance of the car is the issue. We will see - a lot will depend on that and the grip level."
Worries
Meanwhile, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali cited safety and reliability worries as the reasons behind their decision not to use KERS.
Kimi Raikkonen's car suffered a KERS failure during practice for Malaysian Grand Prix a fortnight ago, although they decided to use the technology for the race at Sepang.
"We need to understand what happened to the system from the point of view of safety and reliability," Domenicali said.
"It has delivered a performance benefit, but if it is not running safely and reliably, we can no longer take the risk of running it."
