Pirelli reveal Spa investigation findings

After two tyre failures over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, as well as fierce words from Sebastian Vettel, Pirelli began a thorough investigation into their tyres.

In a statement, Pirelli said; “Technical analysis confirms the absence of any structural problem with the tyres used at the Belgian Grand Prix. Tests have shown that the failures at Spa were down to the exceptional combined effects of debris on the track and prolonged tyre usage on a circuit that is particularly demanding.

“At the Belgian Grand Prix there were 63 cuts in the tyres, compared to an average of 1.2 cuts per circuit in the previous 15 events (including races and tests).”

This was put down to debris from the various support races held during the weekend.

A statement from the FIA said: “The remaining tread thickness on Sebastian Vettel’s rear tyres was approximately 30% at the time of the failure making the tyre more susceptible to damage from even small pieces of debris.”

This is what Pirelli are declaring as the cause of Sebastian Vettel’s high speed puncture.

Pirelli are now looking to work with the FIA to find ways to prevent these incidents in the future, chief among which is cleaning circuits more effectively so less debris is left after a race, thus reducing the risk of punctures in later races.

Further plans include raising the minimum tyre pressures for this weekend by 5psi as a precautionary measure. Talks of a limit of the number of laps on a set of tyres are also underway, as Pirelli suggested at the end of the 2013 season. Rumours currently suggest a 15 lap limit for the soft tyres, and a 25 lap limit for the medium tyres.

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