According to a statement released by Bridgestone today, a severe cut was found in the tyre of McLaren's David Coulthard, which had blown up during yesterday's qualifying while Coulthard was running at over 300 kmph. However, the Japanese tyre manufacturer could not identify the cause of the cut, leading to speculations of deliberate sabotage - something Coulthard himself would not comment on.

"Having gathered as much physical evidence as possible, Bridgestone engineers had an opportunity yesterday evening to examine the remains of the left rear tyre which failed on David Coulthard's car during qualifying," said the Bridgestone statement. "The tyre was found to have a very severe cut, the exact cause of which cannot be ascertained. However, the close examination to which the tyre was subjected indicates that the failure was not the result of any fault inherent in the materials or construction of the tyre."