Italian media: 'Pirelli not to blame, teams play with low tyre pressures'

Two rear tyres burst on the straight, where drivers reach top speed. It happened in Baku, where Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen lost control of their car without warning. It raised the question if Pirelli had their act together, but after a first analysis, it seems something else is going on.

La Gazzetta Dello Sport reports. "The analysis of the two rear tyres that failed last Sunday in Baku has not yet been completed. Until then, Pirelli will also not confirm any revelations. In Milan, where the company is located and the research centre where all the tests were carried out, the staff are already breathing a sigh of relief."

Blame does not lie with Pirelli

Because, according to the well-informed Italian sports newspaper, the blame does not lie with Pirelli. "Both tyres show no changes that can be traced back to a construction fault or a structural fault. That is what is important now since that was the accusation after the race." Pirelli is now looking at what was the cause then, and within the Italian factory, there are already suspicions.

"Pirelli's first expectation was that debris had caused damage, but the analyses that have now been carried out do not show that. There is now doubt at Pirelli about the real tyre pressure". According to La Gazzetta, F1 teams are using a well-known trick. "They are using a trick, which is difficult to control, which could have major consequences for circuits like Azerbaijan."

Tire pressure lower at the track?

"The FIA checks before the race that the tire pressure is correct, but during the race... If you know how to use the tyre warmers to get a lower tyre pressure during the race, which gives you more grip." Whether the lower tyre pressure is really the cause will only be revealed in the week before the French Grand Prix.