Pirelli shares Baku tyre failure investigation results
Pirelli says the investigation rules out a production or quality defect & revealed no sign of fatigue or delamination (Photo: Pirelli)
With David Coulthard’s pull no punches words perhaps still ringing in their ears, this past week or so the Pirelli F1 team has looked into why two of their tyres were not boring at all during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Pirelli says it has, in conjunction with the FIA, completed an analysis and identified why the rear left tyres on the cars driven by Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen failed.
This analysis also took in the tyres used by other cars in the race, which had the same or a higher number of laps on them compared to the ones that were damaged. “The process established that there was no production or quality defect on any of the tyres; nor was there any sign of fatigue or delamination,” reports Pirelli.
“The causes of the two left-rear tyre failures on the Aston Martin and Red Bull cars have been clearly identified. In each case, this was down to a circumferential break on the inner sidewall, which can be related to the running conditions of the tyre, in spite of the prescribed starting parameters (minimum pressure and maximum blanket temperature) having been followed.”
The tyre maker initially suspected that debris on the track had damaged the tyres. Speaking after the race on 6 June, Mario Isola, Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing, stated that “we cannot exclude that the damage was caused by an external factor.”
New set of protocols
As a result of this analysis, Pirelli has submitted its report to the FIA and the Teams. The FIA and Pirelli have agreed a new set of the protocols, including an upgraded technical directive already distributed, for monitoring operating conditions during a race weekend and they will consider any other appropriate actions.
Red Bull Racing, which fielded Verstappen’s #33 car, issued a statement after Pirelli made known the investigation’s results: “We have worked closely with Pirelli and the FIA during their investigation into Max’s tyre failure on lap 47 of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and can confirm that no car fault was found. We adhered to Pirelli’s tyre parameters at all times and will continue to follow their guidance.” It added: “We are grateful that following the weekend’s high speed impacts no drivers were injured.”
Red Bull confirms that no fault was found with its car following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Image: Twitter screenshot)
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