SPA, Belgium — The Mercedes Formula One team says the quality of its disc material was not responsible for the brake failure that sent Lewis Hamilton spinning into the gravel during qualifying for last month’s German Grand Prix.
Hamilton had to start from 20th on the grid and the British driver did exceptionally well to finish third.
Following an investigation, Mercedes released a statement Sunday saying that "the specific interaction between the structure of the brake material in question and the brake mounting" caused the failure, rather than the Brembo brake disc material itself.
Mercedes added that countermeasures have been taken to avoid any repeat of the failure.
