Michelin launches puncture probe
Michelin has pledged to investigate the punctures that afflicted three of its leading runners in the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday
Michelin motorsport director Pierre Dupasquier was unable to give an immediate reason why its rubber suffered three dramatic failures, all of which were the right rear tyre. Michelin had also suffered a failure on Friday, when the left-rear of Ryan Briscoe's Toyota deflated and pitched him into the Eau Rouge barriers. That was blamed on new kerbs at the Bus Stop chicane.
"We are obviously looking into the three incidents in which David Coulthard, Jenson Button and Juan Pablo Montoya suffered tyre damage," said Dupasquier. "In each case, the right rear was affected - and that suffers the least severe loads around a lap of Spa. What's more, the incidents all occurred at different stages in the tyres' life cycles. In Coulthard's case, there is a clear cut on the inside wall of the carcass.
"In the past, we have seen similar instances where a tyre has been damaged by passing over a kerb's sharp inside edge. It is too early to know for sure if that happened on this occasion, but it is bizarre to have three apparently similar problems and our analysts are already investigating the cause. We will find out the root cause."
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