By Alex Kapadia

Michelin tyres is continuing its sponsorship of the annual MPG Marathon, which is organised by Fleet World magazine.

The French tyres manufacturer is keen to keep supporting the event, because it gives the company the chance to drive home its own message about fuel economy.

Now in its 8th year, the 2010 MPG Marathon again strives to prove that skilful eco-driving can increase safety, dramatically reduce fuel costs and significantly lower the CO2 emissions produced by Britain’s 30 million motorists.

The challenge puts manufacturers’ own estimates of fuel consumption to the test, and frequently come out on top.

Michelin is known throughout the world for its leadership in the area of low-rolling resistance tyres for all types of vehicles and this is reflected in the company’s long-standing association with Fleet World magazine and the MPG Marathon.

Dave Crinson, head of fleet sales for Michelin, said: “It is great news that we have continued our sponsorship of this important event.

“We know that our fleet customers appreciate the fuel saving and environmental benefits of Michelin tyres and we are committed to push this message through our continued support of the MPG Marathon.”

Ross Durkin, publisher of Fleet World, added: ‘After vehicle depreciation, fuel bills are the biggest cost facing every fleet manager and motorist in the UK.

“Cutting fuel bills is not only financially beneficial to business but also cuts risk and emissions. The over-riding message of the MPG Marathon remains: It’s not what you drive, but how you drive that makes the difference and once again the combined efforts of all the participants and sponsors will continue to deliver a first class, educational event, promoting smarter driving for better business.”

The 2010 MPG Marathon will take place at Ettington Chase near Stratford-upon-Avon on 15 and 16 September.

Bikers are being urged to pump up their tyres to prevent pothole problems down the road.

The appalling pothole epidemic has been blighting the UK roads for months, puncturing car and bike tyres and even leading to accidents as drivers and riders swerve to avoid the craters.

Now TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety organisation, is reminding bikers that they can reduce some of the problems associated with damaged roads by ensuring their tyres are properly inflated.

When tyres are run at incorrect pressures, they are more vulnerable to damage from angular objects such as the edges of potholes or kerbstones. This damage can result in dangerous bulges in the sidewall, or cuts that render the tyre illegal.

Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: ‘The harsh winter has created an enormous number of potholes, particularly on rural roads, which can be a real danger for bikers heading out this spring.

“By making sure that tyre pressures are at their correct levels before setting off, riders can reduce the likelihood of suffering from dangerous impact damage to their tyres when they hit a pothole.”

As well as helping to avoid pothole related problems, correct tyre inflation pressure is vitally important for the safe handling of motorcycles as it helps to maintain the best contact patch with the road surface, leading to better grip, braking and handling.

Prolonged under-inflation causes excessive flexing of the sidewall, deterioration of the casing and rapid wear on the edges of the tyre. Riders may also experience increased fuel consumption.

Over-inflation may result in an uncomfortable ride, a reduced contact patch and accelerated wear in the centre of the tread.

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

The Daily Telegraph’s campaign to get rid of speed bumps is proving popular with readers who agree they cause massive damage to car tyres.

The campaign is being spearheaded motoring agony aunt, Honest John, who has been tirelessly (no pun intended) warning about tyres-lacerating speed cushions.

A reader who emailed his support wrote: “If you consider a pair of tyres travelling over the sides of a speed cushion, there are two reasons why wear will occur.

“Firstly, the weight of the car is transferred to the inside part of the tyre and the shoulder.
Secondly, the sloping shoulder means that the edge is travelling more slowly than the bottom of the tyre, because it is a smaller diameter.

“This means the edge/shoulder is literally scraped along the speed cushion, rather than rolling over it. I have a gut feeling that the second effect is the most important.

“If I am right then there is a very serious consequence, because the rate of deterioration increases once abnormal wear has started. A.B.”

Honest John replied: “I have been making those two points ceaselessly - and will continue hammering away until we get rid of all tyre-lacerating speed cushions.”

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

By Denna Bowman

Kumho tyres has been saved after creditors agreed to provide a new lifeline of $100 million in a debt restructuring programme.

Creditors will swap debts of 600 billion won for equities to keep the cash-hungry company afloat, while injecting 600 billion won in fresh capital. according to the tyres manufacturers main creditor the Korean Development Bank (KDB).

Ahn Yang-Soo, a senior director of KDB, said: “Creditors agreed to assist Kumho. We will switch company debts into stocks. We also will give additional capital to help the company manage its businesses.

“We think the rescue plan will provide Kumho the momentum to turn its business around.’’

According to a source at the Korean tyres manufacturer, the money will be used for the company’s plants in China.

Creditors also decided to reduce the capital of all shareholders, and let major shareholders take more responsibility, but declined to say how much it will be reduced.

By Oliver Hall

A blaze at a tyres recycling plant, which has sent thick black smoke billowing across County Durham could burn for days.

The thick black cloud was seen across much of the region yesterday, after fire broke out at Envirotyre, where old tyres are broken down before being turned into rubber dust for use in underlay.

Firefighters were called to the blaze on the on Littleburn Industrial Estate, in Langley Moor, County Durham, at about 10.30am on Thursday.

The plume of smoke from the burning rubber rose hundreds of feet into the sky and could be seen as far away as Morpeth, in Northumberland, and on Teesside.

No one was hurt in the blaze, but Envirotyre and neighbouring factories were evacuated.

Tony Grufferty, group manager for the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire’s impact could have been much worse had the wind not blown the smoke away from the East Coast Main Line, only metres away, and residential areas of Langley Moor.

Mr Grufferty said it was too early to establish what had caused the fire, but said an investigation would be held.

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone is set to increase the price of its passenger and light truck tyres by up to 6 per cent from 1st June.

The price hike applies to all Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand replacement and original equipment tyres, but will only take place in the United States market.

Eduardo Minardi, chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Tyre Operations LLC (BATO), said: “The steady increase in raw materials and energy costs made it necessary for us to take this action.

‘While we are successfully implementing measures at all levels of our company to enhance our efficiencies and increase our productivity, those efforts are simply not enough to overcome the escalation of raw material costs.”

Continental and Goodyear, two of the largest tyres manufacturers in the world, have already announced similar price rises due to the rising cost of materials, and analysts expect French tyre manufacturing giant Michelin to follow suit shortly.

The contest to see who is going to replace Bridgestone as the tyres supplier to Formula 1 at the start of the next season is shaping up to be very interesting.

Pirelli is the latest tyres manufacturer to announce it is a late entry into the field, alongside Michelin and, most recently, Cooper Avon.

The Italian company has been given the green light to evaluate a return to Grand Prix racing after bosses held an investors’ meeting in Milan earlier this week and approved a proper study into the benefits of getting Pirelli back into F1 for the first time since 1991.

Paul Hembury, Pirelli’s director of motorsport, said its stance has been prompted by the fact that F1 could switch to 18-inch rims, and that teams are now ready to accept proper commercial terms for an F1 tyre supplier.

He told AUTOSPORT: “Nothing is concrete yet, but we understand that with the possibility of 18-inch tyres, and the fact that the commercial reality has changed compared to the previous environment, then F1 is something that we are now looking into.

“We are always in contract, and remain in contact, with the FIA and the F1 promoter - and that is something that continues year on year. We’ve been aware of the ongoing situation in F1 and that is really what has led to our latest situation.”

Although Michelin has made it clear that it is most interested in a return to F1 if it faces a tyre war, Hembery says Pirelli would prefer to become a standard supplier.

“We wouldn’t rule out a tyre war at this moment, but at this current time I don’t think there is a huge appetite to spend large sums of money developing tyres to go faster,” he said. “Of course these things go in waves and at some point that may be the correct approach, but at the moment teams are more interested in bringing costs down.”

So, keep watching this space for the latest updates.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

When it comes to ordering your new tyres you want to turn to a company that has low prices, a convenient mobile fitting service and great customer relations.

And that’s what etyres offers its customers, or put even more simply by one of our customers “excellent service” which happens “just as it says on the tin”.

That was Peter Lawford’s verdict when he ordered two tyres from us to be fitted by our Guildford team.

This is what he had to say in an email: “Thank you for such excellent service, as you stated below (Peter is referring to the details in the order confirmation email sent out by Head Office) it happened “just as it says on the tin”.

“I had the phone call before 9.30am the fitter arrived at just before 10.00 am. He was extremely polite and efficient and the job was done in next to no time.

“Please pass on my thanks to all involved. Regards.”

Charlotte, National Call Centre

Berlin - Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says it would be wrong to write off Michael Schumacher following a Formula One comeback which has seen him off the pace.
Ecclestone told Germany’s Sport Bild published Wednesday, the former seven-time world champion needed more time following a three-year absence from motor racing.
Criticism of the 41-year-old German has grown following four races with the new Mercedes GP team which have left him only 10th in the standings.
“Anyone who criticizes Michael is making a mistake. He doesn’t deserve that,” Ecclestone said.
Schumacher finished 10th in the last race, last Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix in China, and his best placing has been sixth in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, he has been outshone in every qualifying and race by team-mate Nico Rosberg, who was on the podium in the last two races and is second overall behind reigning world champion Jenson Button.
Ecclestone said 41-year-old Schumacher’s comeback with Mercedes was nonetheless “magic” for Formula One. The Mercedes, however, had not reached the standard of the Red Bull and Ferrari cars.
Asked why 25-year-old Rosberg was outperforming Schumacher, Ecclestone said: “Nico is very talented. But Michael has been on holiday for three years. Ask me this question again after another two races.
“At the moment I would say, don’t underestimate Michael. Give him a bit more time to get used to the new cars and tyres. He is practically a newcomer who has still has things to learn.”
Ecclestone added that Schumacher would not have returned had he not thought he could compete.
“He is not here as a tourist, he is here to win. He’ll do that.”
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, meanwhile, said the criticism of his brother was too harsh.
“People, go easy with your criticism, stay fair,” he told Bild newspaper. “Michael has always managed it and he’ll do so again.”
Ralf Schumacher said his brother had also had some bad luck with a technical problem in Malaysia and a collision in Melbourne, and is not so far off the major points as it would seem.
“I think a good result is possible soon,” he said.

By Alex Kapadia

Michelin tyres have lost a High Court battle after a former worker sued for compensation after being exposed to asbestos dust at the companies Stoke plant 25 years ago.

Roy Ibbs, who suffers from a respiratory disease caused by exposure to asbestos, was awarded £23,000 in damages from the tyres manufacturer.

Now legal experts are predicting the High Court victory could open the floodgates for hundreds of former Michelin workers to sue for compensation after being exposed to asbestos dust.

Mr Ibbs, who was too poorly to attend the court hearing and give evidence earlier this week, worked for Michelin between 1969 and 1985 and was exposed to, “frequent and heavy” clouds of asbestos dust, according to his barrister Colin McCaul QC.

The 78-year-old now suffers from asbestosis, as well as a respiratory disability which leaves him breathless.

He lives with an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs, and asbestos related lung cancer.

Mr Justice Mackay said married Mr Ibbs, “is unable to play as active a role as he would like in the life of his family” due to his health problems.

The judge said he would have awarded the 78-year-old a larger claim had he not been suffering from two other conditions, neither of which are attributable to asbestos exposure.

Mr McCaul, said: “In order to develop asbestosis, you need to have been exposed to a significant amount of asbestos dust.

“There must have been a significant amount of dust at the factory. It’s probably fair to say there were former colleagues exposed to the same conditions.

“The exposure seems to have come from maintenance work on pipes layered with asbestos.”

Mr Ibbs, who declined to comment, worked at the company’s Campbell Road, Stoke, factory, from the 1960s, when it employed more than 9,000 workers.

Michelin issued a statement saying: “Michelin would like to take this opportunity to reassure anyone working in the tyre industry that asbestos has never been used as a component in the tyre manufacturing process.”

The statement continued: “Michelin regrets the unfortunate illness of Mr Ibbs, which was reported in The Sentinel newspaper on Saturday 17 April, and is fully committed to the safety and welfare of its employees.

“This case was due to exposure to asbestos more than 25 years ago and was related to the fabric of the building – a problem shared by many other companies at that time.

“As soon as the health hazards of asbestos were recognised, many years ago, Michelin took action to ensure a safe working environment for its employees.”