Tyre chaos almost ended race

FIA race director Charlie Whiting came close to stopping the British Grand Prix as exploding tyres threatened the safety of the drivers.

Whiting delivered his verdict following a chaotic race at Silverstone where the lives of the drivers were on the line.

With Pirelli already in the firing line this season, their reputation is again in tatters — similar to the bits of rubber strewn across the circuit as four incidents made for one of the most embarrassing days in F1 history. Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Jean-Eric Vergne and Sergio Perez all suffered failures to the left-rears. By lap 15, Hamilton, Massa and Vergne suffered blowouts, the tyre deflating, as opposed to earlier in the season when they delaminated, where rubber stripped away but the belt remained intact.