Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg escaped unhurt after a high-speed blowout during tyre testing in Bahrain on Thursday.
The news broke via the German’s Twitter account in a tweet that was later deleted.
It said: “Just spun at full speed 320km/h on Bahrain straight cause my tyre blew up without warning. Thanks to that need to get some toilet paper now.”
A number of teams are taking part in a three-day test with tyre supplier Pirelli following changes to sporting regulations on safety grounds.
While regular testing is banned until next year under current rules, Pirelli had called for a dispensation so they could collect more data about next year’s tyres with representative machinery.
The Italian company is keen to avoid any repeat of this year’s spectacular British Grand Prix blowouts that threw the sport into crisis and forced Pirelli to revise their tyre construction.
Meanwhile, Mercedes have pulled off a major pit-lane coup by signing two leading engineers from world champions Red Bull to bolster their technical staff.
Mark Ellis and Giles Wood will join Mercedes in June 2014 with their departures likely to be a blow to Red Bull, with two of chief technical officer Adrian Newey’s main lieutenants leaving the team next season.
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