APRIL 9, 2015

Red Bull switches brakes for China

As announced by Dr Helmut Marko after Malaysia, Red Bull has switched brake suppliers for the Chinese grand prix.

Sebastian Vettel always disliked the feel of the Hitco brand, so when the German fled to Ferrari over the winter, Red Bull decided to use the brakes for its 2015 car.

But in Malaysia, brakes were a major issue for Red Bull, so Marko announced that the team will revert to Brembo for China and beyond.

"We have gone back to the solution of 2014," confirmed new team driver Daniil Kvyat. "This is a logical choice, since it worked for us last year."

Daniel Ricciardo agreed: "What is older is not necessarily worse."

However, it will not be a silver bullet for the struggling former champions.

"In Malaysia," said Kvyat, "we just were not fast enough, neither on the straights or in the corners.

"We need more power, more grip and better cooling," said the 20-year-old.

Kvyat might be forgiven for being particularly frustrated, as following his high-profile move to Red Bull, he is now being beaten by his Toro Rosso successors.

"I'm not surprised that Toro Rosso is achieving these results," he insisted. "It is us who are not where we should be.

"At Toro Rosso there are many smart people who have built a good car. Now it's up to us to fight back."

(GMM)