Triumph and tragedy, as evidenced so sadly by the crash death of ex-Formula One driver Justin Wilson in the US, are close companions in the risk-laden sport of motor racing.

And that is why, when the heroes of the race tracks voice fears for their safety as a consequence of a near-miss that was not their fault, they should be immediately responded to by those responsible.

Here I cite four times champion Sebastian Vettel’s angry outburst after his right rear tyre exploded at 321km/h and his justified outrage at Pirelli director of motorsport, Paul Hembery, after the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, one of the most demanding and edgy circuits on the F1 scene.

Vettel’s scare was a follow-up to the Friday practice fright for rival Nico Rosberg, whose Mercedes suffered a blowout on the attention-grabbing flat-out Kemmel Straight.

They, supported by race winner and championship pacemaker Lewis Hamilton and former title holder Fernando Alonso, bitterly aired their doubts about Pirelli tyre safety and subjected Hembery to close media attention, which did not please him at all.

Vettel, not usually a moaner, raged: “If this had happened earlier than where it did, then I would have been in serious trouble and not standing here right now.

“I was almost stuck in with the spectators and that is not acceptable.”

Rosberg, currently second in the championship chase, is desperate for assurances that his life, or any rival driver’s, will not again be threatened by tyre failure.

And he said: “Sebastian was lucky, just like I was, that he did not hit anything when his tyre burst.”

Ahead of the upcoming Italian Grand Prix at the mind-blowingly quick Monza circuit, the German ace said: “We need to have some safety assurances in place. Monza is high speed all over again.”

Pirelli investigated the cause of Rosberg’s puncture and concluded that, as their tyre was structurally sound, an outside force like debris must have penetrated the rubber.

“A theory without evidence,” was Rosberg’s sharp retort.

And Ferrari number one Vettel, responding to Hembery’s defence of his company’s guidance on race action tyre wear and his view that Rosberg must have run over some circuit-side debris, added: “He’s taking rubbish.

“If Nico tells us he did not go off track then he did not go off the track. The same goes with me. Out of the blue my tyre exploded.”

Clearly the besieged Hembery and the cornered Pirelli company will have to restore confidence in their product, and justify it without a repeat of the two dramatic Spa issues or a drivers’ revolt could be in the offing.

— The writer is a freelance journalist and motorsport expert