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Pirelli insists 2014 tyres are safe after testing blowout
Pirelli has reassured Formula One that its 2014 tyres are safe after Nico Rosberg suffered a blowout at 320km/h while testing a prototype tyre.
Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso have been taking part in a Pirelli-run test this week in Bahrain to give the Italian tyre manufacturer a chance to nail down its 2014 specification. On the morning of the final day of running Rosberg tweeted that he had a blowout at 320km/h, although the tweet was soon deleted.
Pirelli issued a statement at the end of the day saying the tyre on Rosberg's car would not feature in next year's championship and that the safety of its tyres "is not in question".
"The tyre tests in Barhain regarded a number of prototypes, which were completely innovative in terms of structure and compounds, with the aim of developing the most suitable solutions for the next season," read the statement.
"This morning Nico Rosberg's Mercedes was fitted with one of these prototypes, a tyre which had only been tested in the laboratory and which will not be proposed again. Thus, the safety of the tyres which will be supplied for the next championship is not in question. The accident which happened to Rosberg's car is being investigated and the findings will be communicated to the FIA and the teams."
The issue is particularly sensitive for Pirelli after a series of tyre failures this year that culminated in multiple blowouts at the British Grand Prix. It changed the structure of its 2013 tyres to combat the issue in the second half of the season.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
