Four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel arrived at Silverstone leading the 2017 Formula One World Championship and he left Silverstone leading the 2017 Formula One World Championship.
But the title picture looks very different, after the German suffered a tyre failure during the closing stages of the race.
During different stages of the 2017 British Grand Prix, eventual winner Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull Racing?s Max Verstappen and Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen all complained over team radio about the state of their tyres.
They were all concerned with blistering, but Hamilton was the only driver to avoid a failure.
Verstappen pitted just before an on track failure, whilst both Kimi and Vettel suffered a breakup of the tyre out on track.
It would cost Ferrari severely in the Formula One constructor?s battle with Raikkonen losing second place to Mercedes Valterri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel dropping from fourth to seventh.
In the drivers? championship, Vettel held on to his lead, but what was once a 25 points lead after the Monaco Grand Prix and a 20 point lead after last weekend?s Austrian Grand Prix is now just 1 point.
Losing 19 points on your main title rival in one weekend is pretty disastrous in motorsport, but Vettel tried to play down the title swing.
?It could have been a bit better for sure, but a disaster? I don?t think so,? Vettel told formula1.com .
On the Pirelli tyre failure Vettel added: ?There was no sign of that, no sign of that happening, I had vibrations but I had that for 20 laps, no sign of it getting any worse. The tyres didn’t look good – but then again they never look good?
?I don?t think there is anyone particularly to blame, With hindsight it is easy but at the time [the tyres] felt ok.
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