Michelin affirms its endurance

Michelin is happy to equip the fastest cars in endurance races, and makes it known. During this week in Sarthe, the Clermont-Ferrand firm reaffirmed its desire to continue the adventure with Audi, Peugeot and its endurance partners. “ We have no qualms about having left other disciplines, declared Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, competition director at Michelin. Endurance represents us well and embodies the values ​​we hold. It is a long-term choice. »

Confirming these words, Matthieu Bonardel, head of motor racing at Michelin, believes that the new regulations concerning tires have brought these values ​​up to date. “ In recent years, we have no longer been in the spirit of endurance. The teams asked us for ultra-soft tires, “marshmallows” to gain seconds per lap, thanks to better grip. But these tires wore out quickly, so they often had to be changed. It is now a good thing, economically and environmentally, that the regulation penalizes tire changes. »

Indeed, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans allowed 4 mechanics and 2 guns to change a set of tires, now the regulations only allow 2 mechanics and a gun. Thus, a tire change now takes around 35 seconds, compared to 18 seconds previously. “ This point of regulation forced the teams to reduce the number of tire changes as much as possible. And, in return, it was our duty to provide them with tires that can last two or even three times longer than before. »

Another important element for the race, the choice of tires should no longer have too much influence on the final result. “ We tried to provide rubbers that do not penalize bad strategic choices. Tires can adapt to conditions different from those for which they were designed. » This should delight the drivers, who are always frustrated when they cannot fight due to stubborn tyres.