From GMM

Like his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel has also counted himself out of the calorie-counting regimen of many of their formula one rivals ahead of the 2009 season.

With heavy KERS systems complicating the current car-plus-driver weight minimum of 605 kilograms, many grand prix stars have revealed their quest to shed pounds in the race to improve car set-ups by having more chassis ballast to play with.

But the German newspaper Bild on Monday revealed that 21-year-old Vettel's 174-centimetre frame currently weighs in at 64 kilograms.

When asked about the weight-loss trend ahead of the 2009 season, he said: "I weigh 67 kilos with all my race gear on, and in the winter enjoyed many full dinner courses."

And to the Rheinische Post publication, Vettel admitted: "(Since the end of 2008) I have put on four kilos."

Former grand prix driver and German-language commentator Christian Danner said the FIA should step in to counter the trend for skinnier grand prix drivers.

"New rules should be implemented urgently," he told Bild. "It is not right that formula one drivers should be dieting like ski jumpers."


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