When Sebastian Vettel, seemingly on the way to another podium finish at last month’s 2015 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, had a massive tire blowout in the waning laps instead, Vettel blamed Pirelli for poor tire-making while Pirelli blamed Vettel and Ferrari for poor decision-making in attempting to make their tires last longer than 50% of their in-race lifespan. The soap opera was at a standstill until this week when, upon further investigation by Pirelli, it was discovered that the tire actually suffered a cut – put there either by debris on the track or by hitting one of the curbs on a corner.
The 2015 Formula One season continues with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza at 5 a.m. [PDT] on NBCSN on September 6, 2015.