Pirelli suspect debris on the track caused Sebastian Vettel’s right-rear puncture as he tested the tyres for the first time in Abu Dhabi.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsport director, told the media that he and the teams noticed some small cuts to the rear tyres, but said he wasn’t worried and overall he was happy with the first days testing.
“We had an instant deflation right at the end of the day coming up to Turn 11,” he said in relation to Vettel’s issue which caused a red flag during the afternoon session.
“The guys are out on the track now having a look to see what caused it. In general, the track is quite dirty after six days of running and there’s a lot of debris on the track and we were starting to notice some cuts on the rear tyres. So it’s nothing untoward, we just want to find out what’s causing that.
“We’re very pleased with this first day of testing and the excellent working relationship that has been struck up between our engineers and all the teams and drivers.
“We’re gathering plenty of useful information and valuable suggestions, as well as some encouraging comments. So far, I would say that everything has gone according to plan.”
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