GP tire trouble blamed on overuse

A tire problem that nearly cost Lewis Hamilton a record seventh British Grand Prix victory last weekend was due to a particularly long final stint on one set, tire supplier Pirelli said on Tuesday. Six times Formula One world champion Hamilton won the race at Silverstone on three wheels and a flat tire after his front left deflated on the final lap with some 3.8 km between him and the finish.

“The key reason is down to a set of individual race circumstances that led to an extremely long use of the second set of tires,” sole supplier Pirelli said in a statement after conducting an initial analysis.

Silverstone is also one of the fastest and most demanding tracks.