F1: Pirelli ‘understands’ Verstappen’s tire-kicking anger

(GMM) Mario Isola says he can “completely understand” Max Verstappen’s anger which culminated in the Dutchman kicking his shredded Pirelli tire after a high-speed blowout at Baku.

The incident cost Red Bull’s top driver the win and an expanded championship lead, with Verstappen immediately and correctly predicting that Pirelli would blame debris rather than acknowledge a tire failure.

When asked about Verstappen’s anger, Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola told France’s Auto Hebdo: “I completely understand that.

“Nobody wants to experience an accident above 300kph.”

Pirelli had said immediate observations backed the debris theory, but a full investigation is currently underway.

“If it was debris, we have to find out what we can do to prevent it in the future,” said Isola, who thinks Verstappen may have run over carbon parts from Lance Stroll’s similar incident.

“It is virtually impossible to design a tire that can withstand such sharp objects,” he insisted. “If it wasn’t debris, we’ll also have to take necessary measures.

“In our laboratory in Milan, we have tools with which we can perform microscopic checks,” the Italian continued. “That way we can know whether the cut came from outside or not.

“We are doing that as soon as possible. In our work, the most difficult part is ruling out damage to the tire after the incident. Damage can also occur when the tire comes into contact with the floor or suspension,” said Isola.