Chinese GP: Mark Webber to start last after fuel issue

Mark Webber has been put to the back of the Chinese Grand Prix grid as his Red Bull could not provide sufficient fuel for the mandatory FIA sample after qualifying

The Australian stopped on the circuit during Q2 when his car ran into fuel pressure problems, which the team put down to an issue with a fuel bowser.

Webber was classified 14th in qualifying but said at the time he suspected it would be difficult to get through the fuel sample test in the circumstances.

"It was a lack of fuel pressure so I couldn't get back, so we stopped the car and qualifying was over before it started really," he said.

A statement from the Shanghai stewards said Red Bull conceded it did not have enough fuel on board.

"The team admitted it had not put sufficient fuel in the car. As specified in the technical delegate's report (Document 21), only 150ml of fuel was on board, which was insufficient to provide the one-litre sample and drive the car back to the pits under its own power."

The F1 technical regulations stipulate that sufficient fuel for a one-litre sample must be available even if a car stops on track.

The rules say: "After a practice session, if a car has not been driven back to the pits under its own power, it will be required to supply the above mentioned sample plus the amount of fuel that would have been consumed to drive back to the pits."

The same issue led to Webber's team-mate Sebastian Vettel starting at the back for the 2012 Abu Dhabi GP.

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