Ferrari still undecided on KERS debut

The Maranello-based team have openly admitted that they are behind schedule with the development of KERS, and said at the end of last year that they were preparing a backup plan in case they could not get it ready in time for the start of the season.

Speaking at the launch of the F60 at Mugello in Italy on Monday, team principal Stefano Domenicali admitted that the team needed proof that KERS would bring them a benefit before they would press on with introducing it.

"When we realise that the performance guaranteed by KERS is up to expectations, then it is our task to use it," he said. "This is our goal if we want to win the world championship.

"Today's presentation is important for us, because this is the first set of tests (for KERS) on a race track. I imagine that we will have problems, the typical problems linked to a race track, and we will have to solve them in a different way.

"Tests are reduced, we are down to 15,000km and there are no tests during the season, so we have to be as efficient as possible. We will have to use the testing benches a lot more than in the past. I expect to see problems and issues.

"The first objective to meet is to have a car that is highly reliable. Reliability played a very heavy burden on us last season, so the first objective is to understand the potential of KERS and then solve all the reliability problems."

When asked if, because of the testing ban, it meant KERS would either be used at the start of the season or not at all, Domenicali said: "I cannot give a yes or no answer now, because of course we need to see what the performance will look like. We will try to be ready as soon as possible."