Webber wary of tire degradation in China

Tires will again be an issue in Shanghai

Mark Webber is expecting tire wear to remain a prominent issue at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, with the debate over Pirelli's more aggressive compounds increasing after most teams opted to make a total of four pit-stops in Malaysia.

The Australian, who finished second to fellow Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel amid team order controversy last time out, believes the tire manufacturer's choice of the Soft and Medium compounds will ensure that pit-stop numbers remain high.

"Tire wear is always an issue because the track is very hard on the left-hand tires," Webber explained ahead of the race. "Turn 1 is an absolute killer for the left front because the corner goes on for ages and we’re turning as well as braking the whole time.

"With Pirelli taking their new Soft and Medium compounds to the race, it’ll be interesting to see how they hold up, but I’m expecting a few pit-stops."

At the Malaysian Grand Prix, Red Bull recorded the fastest ever pit-stop since the refuelling ban from 2010, clocking a stationary time of 2.05 seconds on Webber's car.