Pirelli retains softer compounds for 70th Anniversary GP, uncovers cause of British GP punctures

Pirelli has confirmed that it will still bring softer tyres to this weekend's race at Silverstone, despite the punctures multiple cars suffered at last Sunday's event.

In the final laps of the British Grand Prix, both Mercedes drivers and Carlos Sainz sustained front left punctures, with Lewis Hamilton winning the race with three fully-functioning tyres.

Daniil Kvyat also suffered a rear right tyre failure at the high-speed Maggotts corner early on lap 19, with the resulting safety car prompting most cars onto the C1 hard tyre, aiming to get to the end of the race.  

Pirelli's allocation for the British Grand Prix weekend was the C1, C2 and C3 tyres, however questions were raised over if it would bring the same tyres to the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix weekend, as it originally planned to bring the C2, C3 and C3 compounds.

The Italian marque has confirmed that it will stick with its decision to bring the softer compounds to this weekend's race, despite the fact temperatures are expected to be much hotter than last weekend.

MORE: Norris: Current Pirelli tyres preventing drivers from pushing hard on lap one

MORE: Horner: No guarantee Verstappen would’ve avoided a puncture before pit stop

Suggestions were made that perhaps debris caused the problems for the cars, but an inquest by Pirelli has determined that not to be the case.

Pirelli says that the increased pace of the 2020 F1 cars, grouped with the lengthy final stints and high-demanding Silverstone Circuit resulted in the punctures late on in the event.

A statement from Pirelli reads: “The key reason is down to a set of individual race circumstances that led to an extremely long use of the second set of tyres.

“The second safety car period prompted nearly all the teams to anticipate their planned pit stop and so carry out a particularly long final stint: around 40 laps, which is more than three-quarters the total race length on one of the most demanding tracks of the calendar.

“Combined with the notably increased pace of the 2020 Formula 1 cars (pole position was 1.2 seconds faster compared to 2019) this made the final laps of the British Grand Prix especially tough, as a consequence of the biggest forces ever seen on tyres generated by the fastest Formula 1 cars in history.

“The overall result was the most challenging operating conditions for tyres. These led to the front-left tyre (which is well-known for working hardest at Silverstone) being placed under maximum stress after a very high number of laps, with the resulting high wear meaning that it was less protected from the extreme forces in play.”

Although it will still bring softer tyres to this weekend's race at Silverstone, Pirelli has confirmed that it will increase the minimum tyre pressures “to reduce the stress on the construction”.