Michelin boss makes final pitch for F1 tyre deal

ERJ staff report (TB)

By Adam Cooper, Crain News Service

ISTANBUL, Turkey (May 31, 2010) -- Michelin Motorsports boss Nick Shorrock met the Formula 1 team bosses at the Turkish Grand Prix this past weekend to discuss the French company´s bid to win the F1 race tyre contract for 2011 and beyond.

Although Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. appeared to have been the favored choice prior to this weekend, Michelin is still in the hunt, and Mr. Shorrock insisted his company has not made a last-minute change to what was on the table.

“There was no intention to change anything,” Mr. Shorrock said after visiting the Formula One Teams Association meeting at the Team McLaren motorhome May 30 before the race.

“The objective of this morning was to make sure the teams had fully understood the details of our offer, which is as it´s always been, in line with what the company sees as the future of competition and within the values that the company wants to respect, he said. “which is essentially that of open competition, of being able to demonstrate the technical capability of our product, while also being able to demonstrate that there is respect for the environment.

“It was suggested that it would be useful to come and explain face to face, with all of the teams, the details of that offer. That´s what the intention was, that was the objective, and I hope it´s been achieved.”

He continued: “The teams listened, they asked questions, and we tried to clarify as much as possible any doubts that they have. We´re still open to discussions if that´s what they wish.

“I think like everybody else we´ve made a proposition which we believe is reasonable, is not exaggerated. It´s up to the teams really to decide which way they want to go.”

Mr. Shorrock made it clear that time is of the essence.

“That´s something that we´ve said all along,” he said. “A tyre is not something that you easily put onto an F1 car. It needs a certain amount of work, and that´s what we´ve done. We would like a decision as quickly as possible.

“It´s not our role to set a deadline, it´s the environment of the FIA, FOTA and FOM that have the job of evolving the sporting regulations in this particular instance.”

Last time Michelin was involved in F1 was with grooved tyres, but Mr. Shorrock said the translation to slicks will not be a big challenge.

“There´s a logical evolution in terms of tyre performance. Let´s not forget that Michelin is very much present in competition as whole. We´ve not been in F1, but we are very present in other disciplines, notably in endurance racing, and particularly in a couple of weeks we´ll be at (the 24 Hours of) Le Mans.

“That type of racing brings us enormous information. If you look over the last 10 years the durability of a Michelin tyre has increased by 35 percent, while car speeds have increased by 10 percent. So that´s something we know how to do, it´s our basic profession, to make a tyre that´s usable and safe in a competitive environment.”

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)