Mark Webber is targeting his first podium finish of the season for Red Bull at this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of F1's return to Europe.
Australian realistic heading into Bahrain Grand Prix
Mark Webber is targeting a podium finish for Red Bull at this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.
In stark contrast to last season when the Milton Keynes-based squad dominated the championship, Sebastian Vettel's second place finish in Australia, which owed much the timing of a safety car period, remains their only podium this season.
And a realistic Webber knows that it will be important to get to grips with the heat and tyre wear quickly in Sakhir, if Red Bull are to have a chance of competing this weekend.
"We haven't been to the circuit for two years and the last time we raced on the current track layout was in 2009," the Australian said.
"We also haven't been there with Pirelli tyres or the DRS, so it's going to be interesting to see how those new features go; the ingredients are all there for another exciting Grand Prix. It's going to be important to understand the tyres quickly and you need good top speed and braking.
"It's a hot race, hotter than it was in Australia and Shanghai and more like the temperature in Malaysia. It would be nice to get a podium before we go back to Europe."
Team-mate and reigning double World Champion Vettel feels that the circuit's location in the middle of the desert means it could be a difficult weekend dealing with different grip levels.
"The track requires a lot from the drivers, because the constantly changing character of the corners means you never really get time to settle in to a lap," said the German.
"Also, as the tracks built in the middle of the desert, you have to manage the sand there. It moves with the wind, so it can suddenly appear in new places on the track on each lap - so you're never quite sure where it will be slippery.
"For the teams, it's always a challenge to anticipate the grip levels for the race. In Friday Practice, when the track is still "green", you often require a different set-up than you need for Sunday. Due to the nature of the circuit, the brakes are in high demand."
