Pirelli: Investigation into Verstappen and Stroll blowouts "not easy"

Pirelli chief Mario Isola says it will not be easy to find out what caused the tyre failure of Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll in Baku. In a first reaction, Pirelli said it was debris on the track, a statement that Verstappen saw coming not long before.

However, the cause of both blowouts will have to be thoroughly investigated, and Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner sees an advantage in the fact that the tyre remains largely intact, so there is at least some evidence.

Isola, however, contradicts that this makes the investigation easier. "No, it doesn't make it easier," he tells Motorsport.com. "If you have an accident the tyre gets damaged in many places." The tyres will be sent to a laboratory, where a microscopic examination will be carried out. According to Isola, the next step is to find out if any cut was caused when the tyre blew, or if it had an external cause.

The Pirelli F1 boss says he has already looked at Verstappen's tyre, and that it is therefore not impossible to investigate what caused it. "With Max it could have been something that came from Lance's car. With Lance I wouldn't know, because there had been no incidents before that moment," Isola said.