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After Verstappen and Aston driver Lance Stroll suffered violent end-of-race accidents in Baku when their left rear tires gave out while running along the main straight of the track, Pirelli said the issue was related to the conditions tire operation, despite the prescribed starting parameters (minimum pressure and maximum temperature of the blanket) having been respected in each squad.
This suggested that the tires may be operating below the mandatory minimum pressures while on track, although Red Bull and Aston insisted in separate statements following Pirellis’ investigation that there was no car fault which contributed to the problems.
Speaking alongside Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who said I don’t think Pirelli is at fault, during the pre-event press conference for this weekend’s French GP at Paul Ricard, Verstappen defended his team’s actions.
He said: Of course they explained that they didn’t have any measuring tools during the race, but we gave them our tire pressure and they were within the limits they set for themselves.
If these limits are not correct, there is nothing we can do about it, we just follow what is possible within the rules.
If that means we have to increase the pressure, everyone will increase the pressure.
But they say they didn’t have the right measurements, but we gave it to them after the race and it was shown that we didn’t do anything wrong there.
And also, Aston Martin didn’t do anything wrong.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR21, breaks down during qualifying
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
So they can’t blame us. I think they have to look at each other.
And we are here, of course happy to help you with everything.
They are already under pressure from Friday [in Baku] see you Saturday, so that means something.
Maybe it wasn’t enough. Well, turn up the pressure here, sure, and hopefully that will be enough.
Verstappen also said he was personally not happy with what he called Pirellis’ vague explanation of the Baku tire failures.
“For me, it was just a little vague what came out,” he said.
“But the only thing I can say is that on our side, I think the team did everything they should have done.
They followed all the tire pressure guidelines and everything. So there was nothing to be found there.
I’m not really sure if I’m building up the pressure here for this weekend. I am 100% sure we will.
It probably has something to do with what happened in Baku, but it would also be nice to know if it was related to the tire pressure.
[Pirelli should] just talk it would be a little easier to understand [if that happened] and I think the explanation we have had so far [wasnt enough] because the team didn’t do anything wrong.
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