KERS a dwindling

Fri, 17 April 2009, 04:00

Apr.17 (GMM) The number of F1 cars running KERS has dropped to just five — and possibly just four for Sunday’s Chinese grand prix

The fact caused Mark Webber to remark on Thursday that the sport would probably not miss the controversial energy re-use technology if it disappeared altogether

“It’s turned into a bit of a mess hasn’t it, the whole KERS thing,” the Australian, who as a GPDA director has safety concerns about the systems, said

BMW’s Robert Kubica trialled KERS for the first time in practice on Friday, but it is possible the unit will be extracted from his car overnight

Neither Ferrari is using the systems this weekend, and it has emerged that Nelson Piquet was the only Renault driver fitted with a KERS in Shanghai practice

“Ferrari and Renault have binned it, I think,” Red Bull’s Webber said

His boss Christian Horner on Friday said Red Bull has “no fixed date” for a KERS debut aboard the RB5 in 2009

Webber believes the fans would not mind if F1 simply walked away from its flirt with KERS

“No one would kick up a stink, I don’t think

“Some of the teams might, but you’ve got a common unit next year anyway, so it’s not like anyone’s developing it for next year,” he added

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