“It’s clear that something was wrong” – Max Verstappen has gone on the offensive after Pirelli confirmed new rear tyres for testing during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.
Max Verstappen missed out on a definite win in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku after his left-rear tyres blew out with just the final few laps to go. The incident was sudden and shocking, especially for Verstappen, who was looking to extend the lead in the championship over arch-rival Lewis Hamilton.
He kicked the damaged tyre in despair as he came out, and eventually, the Red Flag was called out. Fortunately for him, Lewis Hamilton botched the race restart due to a brake issue, and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez went on to win the race, his first for his new team.
The Verstappen incident, the second one after Lance Stroll saw his same tyre blow out earlier in the race, prompted calls of protest against Pirelli. The Italian manufacturers, however, refused to take the blame, instead putting the blame on debris lying on the track.
Max Verstappen vs Pirelli rumbles on
Now, in a probable twist, Pirelli is introducing new rear tyres for testing during this weekend’s Austrian GP. The tyres will be tested during Free Practice on Saturday.
Pirelli is to trial a new, more robust construction of rear tyre in practice at the Austrian Grand Prix (the second of the two races at the Red Bull Ring) following the failures in Baku. Existence of this tyre was first revealed here https://t.co/keUSr2kORJ
— Andrew Benson (@andrewbensonf1) June 25, 2021
This has not pleased Verstappen, who maintains his stance that Pirelli is introducing new tyres due to the blowouts involving the Red Bull and Aston Martin.
“If nothing had been wrong, they wouldn’t have had to change it. That seems clear to me.
“We’ll see how it works out for everyone, but I’m not worried about that. No, I don’t need to prove myself right, but it’s clear that something was wrong.”
