Spark plug caused Vettel power loss

Red Bull Racing has revealed that it was a faulty spark plug, not a broken exhaust, that cost Sebastian Vettel a potential victory in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.The young German was leading the race when his Renault engine lost power from lap 33 onwards, dropping him to fourth place by the chequered flag.The initial assumption from the rough engine note was that Red Bull's innovative exhaust system which features exhaust exits positioned much lower than on other cars to increase the efficiency of the rear diffuser had overheated.But further investigation by the team identified a different cause.Our earlier race report stated that Sebastian Vettel's loss of power on lap 33 of the Bahrain Grand Prix was due to an exhaust problem, said a team statement.However, further investigations by the team have proven that the loss of power was actually due to a spark plug failure and not the exhaust.

Date published : 14 Mar 2010 - 20:29:46




Reader Comments

  • Rupert, UK (15 Mar 2010 12:07:31)
    Hope that it wasn't a Champion spark plug
    Response
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