Pirelli have admitted that a four-stop strategy is too many stops for a Formula One race and most of Sunday's runners did just that. Even a few three-stop strategies were changed on the fly to a 4-stop tactic to stay within tow of Ferrari's blistering pace.

Let's face it, Kimi Raikkonen shows no sign of heading for the nadir of his popularity and grip on F1 fans the world over. They guy can simply do no wrong no matter how terse, curt, snippy or vulgar he gets.

If you've been watching Formula One for some time now, you'll know that when Mark Webber isn't happy about something... he says it. The Australian F1 driver did not mince words at this weekend's practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix when his Red Bull RB9 chassis experienced high tire degradation.

Advanced degradation is nothing new for Pirelli as the sport of Formula One mandated that they, as a sole supplier, provide a tire that rapidly degrades to add excitement to the racing. It is antithetical to the very nature of a tire company and Pirelli should be applauded for their efforts.

The fact behind this week's test in Jerez are amazing for a host of reasons...least of which is the pure emotional joy of Formula One engines getting ready for March. It's also an interesting event if you are the tire supplier for F1.

No question that the 2012 Formula One season is all about tire preservation. Like it or not, this has become an elusive combination of chassis set up and driver skill. Tactics and strategy play a huge role in the ability to put yourself in a position to win regardless if you are the fastest car on the grid or not.

Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Sebastien Vettel, Pastor Maldonado, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton have each won a race this year, and we are only seven races into the 2012 Formula 1 World Championship.

Mercedes AMG Petronas has gained a lot of attention of late with their unique rear wing design (challenged by other teams and exonerated by the FIA) and the increased performance the team seems to have made in the off season.