Pirelli: Vettel tyre failure caused by debris

After Sebastian Vettel’s rear tyre exploded on lap 26 of the Austrian Grand Prix, Pirelli have concluded that the cause of the incident was a piece of debris on the Red Bull Ring circuit.

The conclusion came after Pirelli and Ferrari conducted an investigation of what exactly occurred, taking into account that the German had done numerous laps on the supersoft tyre.

After the race, Vettel and Ferrari had no explanation to what happened to his tyre, which prompted an investigation by the Italian tyre company.

Pirelli issued a statement saying that they found no signs of tyre fatigue or structural failure.

“Analysis of the tyre issue that affected Sebastian Vettel at the recent Austrian Grand Prix has been concluded and the results shared with Ferrari,” Pirelli said in a statement.

“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.”