Red Bull didn’t have it all their own way in the Friday practice sessions for the inaugural Korean Grand Prix, although Mark Webber did finish the day top of the time sheets.
“The track changed a lot today, obviously it's a new venue and it was slippery in P1,” explained the current championship leader, who finished the morning session seventh fastest. “It started to get more sensible as the day went on, but it's the same for everyone and we just have to keep chipping away, doing what we can with our programme and working with the car.
“It was a positive day and the car ran well; there was a lot of information to gather and we've done that pretty successfully. We're optimistic with today's performance and now we're focusing on getting ready for tomorrow.
“It's enjoyable to drive here – there are a couple of unique sections and it's always a challenge for a driver to get into a new venue. The pit entry and exit is a little bit marginal to get on and off the track but, apart from that, they've done a remarkable job and I'm clutching at straws to criticise anything.”
Sebastian Vettel, who dominated proceedings in Japan a fortnight ago, finished the morning session fourth and the afternoon session seventh. The young German, like a number of his rivals, pointed out a potential problem around the entrance to the pit lane.
“I think we got a crash course in sliding around and drifting today – it was good fun,” he said. “The track time was more valuable this afternoon, but I had a puncture early on in P2, which affected our running. As a result we had to go on to the option early and the tyres weren't too grateful for that. But, all in all, it wasn't too bad.
“I think the pit entry is quite on the edge here because it's blind and someone going into the pits will be going slower than someone who's staying out. If you're trying to pass and they decide to pit, it could be quite difficult.
“I think qualifying should be good as the pace is there. Mark had a calm afternoon and looked competitive, the first sector is not in our hands, but we can fight back in the second and third sectors.”
