Verstappen blames Pirelli: ‘Very strange what happened there’

For Max Verstappen, a very certain victory just before the end of the race became a retirement. The Dutchman is not satisfied with the Pirelli tyres but expects the outcome of a possible investigation already.

Certain victory lost

“Of course I’m bummed. It was actually a very easy race. We controlled the speed, but of course, we had to drive a very long stint on the hard tyre. So I tried to match what was happening behind me,” Verstappen explained to Ziggo Sport.

“It all felt very comfortable and didn’t have any vibration or anything at all either. So it’s very weird what happened there,” the Red Bull Racing driver continued. The blowout happened just after the spot where Lance Stroll crashed, but according to Verstappen, it won’t be down to debris from his Stroll’s car. “We drive the fastest line there lap after lap. It’s very strange then that it only happens to me.”

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“Probably Pirelli will say again that it’s carbon parts. It was the same in Imola. That’s something you can hardly argue with. The fact is that another tyre blew up. Not just with me, but also with Stroll,” Verstappen continued. Despite still leading the World Cup, Verstappen is lamenting the fact that he hasn’t been able to widen the gap.

“It’s very crappy sometimes,” says Verstappen. But he knows that the last two weekends were still pretty positive. Because the car was very fast in both Grands Prix. There will be talks with Pirelli: “Of course, but I already know the outcome. That’s hard to accept. But it will probably have to do with ‘debris’ again.”

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