Is F1 in crisis following the British Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton was the first to suffer a tyre failure

Following this afternoon's chaotic British Grand Prix fans, team bosses and drivers alike have been united in their views that Formula One is in crisis. Turns out in their minds a sport can go from a healthy state to almost breaking point over the course of just an hour and a half. Sure...

The tyre issues faced today were 1) dangerous and 2) preventable. I have no idea what must have been going through the driver's heads as they travelled headlong down the Hanger Straight at nearly 200mph praying their tyres stayed intact. It cant have been easy. But for Pirelli to be made the bad guys in this whole situation is entirely wrong.

Much has been made of the tyres this season, with the initial issues surrounding the amount of degradation over the course of the race. But while it can be said that at some events the degradation was extreme, it must be remembered that these are the types of tyres Pirelli were contracted to manufacture by the FIA.

For years Bridgestone had constructed a tyres that could last a whole race distance and probably more. But there was one issue. It was boring. Just a season ago Pirelli were being praised for bringing new life to the sport, this cant be forgotten.

Mercedes controversial tyre test aside, Pirelli have acted admirably in the face of the criticism which has come their way this season. Take Pirelli Motorsport boss Paul Hembery for example, a man who never hides away from the press, always making himself available whatever questions he may be asked.

While it is easy to get caught up in the drama of the 2013 British Grand Prix, the facts cant be ignored. While the construction of the tyres could have been stronger, today's problems were caused by a kerb. It's a fact that after the race the kerbing on the exit of Turn 4 was found to be unusually sharp with BBC technical expert Gary Anderson saying he was almost certain this was where the blame lay.

Surely then blame should lay at the feet of Silverstone itself? But I'm sure there's no way the British press will dare criticise one of the jewels in our sporting summer.

The hysteria surrounding Pirelli is likely to continue for weeks to come, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were to announce their withdrawal from the sport. In my opinion they've been treated terribly by the teams, the Press and the FIA.

I'll be the first to hold my hands up if I'm wrong and these problems resurface at the Nurburgring in just seven days time.

All this overshadows the fact today's events have thrown the World Championship wide open. This F1 season could be one of the most exciting yet, but only if the focus remains on the action.