Tyres the burning question for Mercedes duo

Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg remained concerned about the safety of their Pirelli tyres Saturday despite statements by the Italian suppliers that is nothing to worry about.

Rosberg had survived a horrifying high-speed tyre failure during Friday practice when his right rear tyre failed and he was lucky to escape unhurt after a full spin without hitting the barriers.

Pirelli said the high speed puncture at Blanchimont was caused by a 'foreign body' – possibly debris on the track – and claimed that there were no concerns about the integrity of their tyres.

Rosberg, however, seemed to remain unconvinced.

"The problem is that we don't really understand it. There are theories, but there is no real evidence. So, that is a bit worrying for sure," said Rosberg.

"We're keeping a very close eye on it and we've done some measures to make sure it doesn't happen again. We'll just do the best we can and hope it all stays together."

The concerns of Rosberg, whose wife Vivian is expecting their first child at any time were shared by defending world champion Hamilton.

"The tyres are an unknown, from a degradation point of view, but also we've seen Nico's issue yesterday. So, who knows what will happen in the race?" said Hamilton, who leads Rosberg by 21 points in the title race after 10 Grand Prix.
Source: AFP