From GMM
At Sepang on Friday, there was higher tire degradation than was witnessed in Melbourne two weeks ago.
Fernando Alonso said a Sergio Perez-style one stopper will be "impossible" on Sunday, and Pirelli's motor sport boss Paul Hembery said a "normal" dry race will see three stops.
"Here it's all about the tires," Virgin driver Timo Glock told Speed Week. "They last a lap and then start to break down, so it is just about keeping going as long as possible."
Also on Friday, drivers tested Pirelli's new extra-hard tire that was tipped to be used in Turkey to cope with the famous Turn 8, but it is believed the tire proved too hard.
"We need to be careful that we don't end up with tires that are too conservative," warned Hembery.
Meanwhile, Pirelli changed the line around the edge of the sidewall of its soft tires to gold this weekend in Malaysia.
The move follows complaints in Australia that the tire supplier's choice for visibly differentiating the compounds in 2011 - different coloured logo lettering - was not noticeable enough.
Pirelli said the gold band "should make the compound easier to spot on television" from Sepang.
A permanent revision to the markings this year will be announced ahead of May's Turkish grand prix.
Finally, Lucas di Grassi will do the driving when F1 tire supplier Pirelli resumes its private track testing programme.
At Sepang on Friday, there was higher tire degradation than was witnessed in Melbourne two weeks ago.
Fernando Alonso said a Sergio Perez-style one stopper will be "impossible" on Sunday, and Pirelli's motor sport boss Paul Hembery said a "normal" dry race will see three stops.
"Here it's all about the tires," Virgin driver Timo Glock told Speed Week. "They last a lap and then start to break down, so it is just about keeping going as long as possible."
Also on Friday, drivers tested Pirelli's new extra-hard tire that was tipped to be used in Turkey to cope with the famous Turn 8, but it is believed the tire proved too hard.
"We need to be careful that we don't end up with tires that are too conservative," warned Hembery.
Meanwhile, Pirelli changed the line around the edge of the sidewall of its soft tires to gold this weekend in Malaysia.
The move follows complaints in Australia that the tire supplier's choice for visibly differentiating the compounds in 2011 - different coloured logo lettering - was not noticeable enough.
Pirelli said the gold band "should make the compound easier to spot on television" from Sepang.
A permanent revision to the markings this year will be announced ahead of May's Turkish grand prix.
Finally, Lucas di Grassi will do the driving when F1 tire supplier Pirelli resumes its private track testing programme.