Italy-based Pirelli & C. SpA faced a backlash from Formula One drivers after four tire blowouts occurred in Sunday’s British Grand Prix race.
The circuit’s governing body will allow teams to test tires during a young drivers training session as it tries to find a solution.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was leading from the pole position, in front of his home crowd, when his left rear tire exploded on the eighth lap at Silverstone. He battled back to finish fourth.
“It was quite dangerous, I was thinking of stopping,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “I don’t know why I have to put my life at risk for these damn tires.”
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne and McLaren’s Sergio Perez also had tire failures as track temperatures reached about 88 degrees.
The next race is the German Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring on Sunday. Pirelli, Europe’s third-largest tire maker, is the sole tire supplier in Formula One.
At one point on Sunday, the safety car was introduced to allow debris from shredded tires to be removed from the track, and teams urged drivers to avoid hitting curbs.
Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen was hit by parts of Vergne’s tire. McLaren’s Jenson Button added his concerns.
“It’s very scary,” Button said. “It’s not right and it’s not just dangerous for the driver in the car, but it’s dangerous for all the cars behind. He could lose control at that speed, but also the cars behind are getting hit with a massive belt of rubber, which has got metal in it, so it’s got to change.”
Red Bull principal Christian Horner said his team was “very nervous about the tires.”
Pirelli and Mercedes were reprimanded by the FIA last month after wrongly having an in-season tire test.
Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said, “We are currently performing our analysis, we have to go away and understand what has happened,” he said. “When we’ve got the facts, then we can understand and get to the core of the issue. ... We need to analyze it properly to give the correct reply.”
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the race. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel didn’t finish because of a mechanical problem, though he keeps his lead in the drivers’ standings.
“They must analyze it if so many tires fail, it is a problem,” Rosberg said.