Red Bull design Adrian Newey has admitted Pirelli’s mid-season tyre specification change helped the quadruple back-to-back world champions in 2013.

Sebastian Vettel, who clinched his fourth title in India last weekend, had already won races this season at the time of the tyre-exploding British Grand Prix, where after Pirelli came under pressure to revert to last year’s kevlar-belted construction.

Red Bull lobbied hard for the change, and car designer Newey has now admitted that the 2012 tyres gave the team a performance boost.

“Going back to the 2012 tyres clearly click here for more