Red Bull, McLaren seek Sepang step-up

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Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber led the field off the grid at Melbourne but the best finish they could manage was third and sixth respectively.

Red Bull are looking to Malaysia next weekend to kick-start their Formula One season after tyre problems blighted their early speed promise in Melbourne.

The Red Bulls of World champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were the quickest cars in qualifying and both started off the front row of the Australian Grand Prix grid on Sunday.

Yet three-times champion Vettel had to settle for third behind race winner Kimi Raikkonen in a Lotus and runner-up Fernando Alonso, driving a Ferrari.

Vettel laid the blame on tyre degradation while Webber, losing his grid advantage by getting off the line sluggishly, had issues with his car's telemetry compounded by a below-par pit stop as he finished in sixth.

TROPICAL HEAT

Red Bull are expecting the tropical heat of the circuit in Sepang, just outside the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, to be more to the team's liking.

Team principal Christian Horner said: “I think in the cooler conditions we weren't in the optimum window with these tyres.

“We leave this race knowing we've got a good car and we're looking forward to warmer temperatures in Malaysia.”

Vettel, chasing a fourth consecutive World Drivers’ title in 2013, said it was not the outcome he was expecting from the season-opening race at Albert Park after coming off pole.

“There are always areas where you can improve, but the result we got today is fair.”

“I think you're always a little disappointed when you start first and don't finish first, but overall it was a good weekend for us,” he said.

“We had a good day with a pole and a podium - but in the race we were a little too aggressive with the tyres and lost the front and the rears, while others did a little better.

“We didn't see Kimi on the track, he was too quick and Fernando jumped us at a vulnerable time - but we can be happy with third,” Vettel added.

EVERYTHING KEEPS GOING WRONG

McLaren are another team looking to improve in Malaysia after taking just two points out of Melbourne.

Nothing went right for the eight-times World Constructors' champions and their No.1 driver Jenson Button could only finish ninth.

McLaren were off the pace in practice and qualifying and Button was well down the field throughout the 58-lap Melbourne race, while Mexican team mate Sergio Perez finished out of the points in 11th.

Button said: “Having won the Australian Grand Prix three times so far in my career - in 2009, 2010 and 2012 - you'd have to say that today's ninth place isn't really much to write home about.

“Looking forward to Malaysia next weekend, I think we've got a tough few days ahead of us, but hopefully we can now do some number-crunching in an effort to understand our car a bit better and extract a bit more performance out of it there.” - AFP