Vettel: "I'll eat my hat if anyone stops twice" in Barcelona

[John S]

Red Bull, for good PR, needs to pay Marussia to try for it? 

With Branson at last making good on his bet with Tony Fernandes what better way to keep the wagers going than with a bet on a bit of public humiliation for that nasty Seb. - Mark will be only to happy to have the salt and pepper handy after the race. 

Sebastian Vettel is facing an unpalatable Sunday dinner if any of Red Bull's rivals manage to confound expectations by two-stopping during the Spanish GP.

Although tyre degradation is not predicted to be as extreme at the Circuit de Catalunya as it was three weeks ago in the blistering heat of Bahrain, the widespread expectation is that Sunday's grand prix will be a three-stopping race.

In Vettel's case, that expectation has been underlined by a promise to eat his hat if any car manages to cross the line making just a couple of stops!

"Let's put it this way - I am expecting that we will pit no fewer than three times and no more than four times," the reigning World Champion told the official Formula 1 website. "Running a two-stop strategy here is not worth wasting a thought on and if somebody does it I will eat my hat!

"I definitely hope that it doesn't come to that."

Skysports.com, Sat 11th May.

[Alianora La Canta]

Seb's hat is safe - the only people who stopped fewer than 3 times were Grosjean and van der Garde, who only got chance to do 1 stop between them.