Debris to blame for Vettel’s Austria tyre issue - Pirelli

Pirelli have concluded that the dramatic tyre issue suffered by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel on the 27th lap of last Sunday’s race in Austria was almost certainly caused by an item of debris – not by a failure of the tyre itself.

Announcing the results of their in-depth analysis, the Italian manufacturer said: “The few remaining parts of the tyre in question, together with an in-depth comparison to other tyres used in the race, reveal no signs of fatigue or structural failure in the right-rear tyre itself.

“Consequently, the issue appears to be caused by an item of debris, which led to the breakage of the tyre.”

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