Pirelli explain cause of Verstappen Imola blowout

Pirelli Formula 1 boss Mario Isola has explained cuts on Max Verstappen's right-rear tyre in Imola were to blame for the Dutchman's dramatic retirement from the race.

Verstappen had been running second in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix before his tyre let go on lap 51, pitching the Red Bull driver into a spin and consequently bringing about his retirement.

"We made and investigation on the tyre and the part of the tyre that we have been able to collect," said Isola. "We found some cuts on the tread and the sidewall, both inside and outside.

"We believe that the reason for the failure was the damage on the centre of the tread that caused the damage on both the belts and the carcass plies, so the belts started to detach following this damage and at a certain point, when the carcass was not able to keep the load, we had the deflation that everybody saw on television."

The Pirelli tyres have often been a talking point of grands prix weekends in recent times, no more so than at the British Grand Prix when race winner Lewis Hamilton crossed the line with only three functioning tyres after team-mate Valtteri Bottas and McLaren driver Carlos Sainz also suffered similar failures.

Acknowledging the less than simple task of analysing the cause of a failure on such a heavily damaged carcass, Isola added: "We shared this analysis with also the FIA and the team and the evidence that we have.

"Obviously, it is difficult to analyse a tyre that is in pieces but we sent immediately the tyre back from Imola to our laboratories in Milan and we did an investigation as a priority."

Before you go...

Farcical conditions play havoc on Formula 1's return to Turkey

Russell handed back-of-the-grid start for Turkish GP

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Fernando Alonso takes drastic action to avoid injury from Aston Martin F1 car

• 3 hours ago

Lewis Hamilton's mum 'gobsmacked' by Chinese Grand Prix discovery

• Yesterday 22:55

McLaren 'would have won F1 world championship with Daniel Ricciardo'

• Yesterday 22:15

Lewis Hamilton drops heart eyes emoji to ‘hard launch’ Kim Kardashian relationship

• Yesterday 21:30

Aston Martin ‘are now looking for a new team principal’ claims top F1 insider

• Yesterday 20:55

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff 'overwhelmed' at emotional Lewis Hamilton reunion

• Yesterday 19:53