Imago
The Silverstone paddock
Imago
The Silverstone paddock
Last weekend’s British Grand Prix race at Silverstone seemed destined for a familiar (boring?) result. But suddenly, the race kicked into gear towards the last couple of laps.
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There were three tire punctures with Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas, and Lewis Hamilton suffering at the hands of their left fronts.
While Bottas and Sainz dropped out of the points, Hamilton held on for a nail-biting win with three operable tires. Despite the excitement provided by the race, questions were asked as to why there were so many tire blowouts.
While Pirelli had most of the explaining to do, the Silverstone track authorities have also done their bit to prevent or lessen the tire punctures that were seen last Sunday.
New curb set to be added at Silverstone for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix
The FIA requested a new curb to be added at the exit of Becketts, and the track authorities at Silverstone have duly complied.
According to Autosport.com, a spokesperson of Silverstone said, “To help the drivers adhere to track limits this weekend, at the request of the FIA, a 23-meter section of curb has been installed at the exit of turn 13 ahead of this weekend’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.”
Drivers running off the track and dipping their tires into the grass, at the exit of Becketts and the entrance to Chapel, was a common occurrence throughout last weekend.
This put a lot of undue strain on the tires. It could have possibly caused the punctures that we witnessed.
Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola also acknowledged the Silverstone authorities for the modifications they have made. Isola said, “Some debris was trapped in the curb, causing some cuts in the tires.
“They are working around that and it’s a good action. It’s a good idea to have this small modification that is helping in this situation.”
While not wishing for anything untoward to happen to the drivers, it’d be great to have a race that was as exciting as the last few laps of the previous one.
Will we see anyone other than Hamilton or Bottas winning this week’s race? Can Max Verstappen cause an upset? Will Sebastian Vettel finally get a good car?
A lot of interesting storylines to look forward to as F1 gets ready for round two at Silverstone.
ALSO READ- “He is Lost” – Former Teammate Gives Damning Verdict on Sebastian Vettel and His Ferrari Struggles.
