Michelin appears to be pulling out of race to supply F1 tyres
All the signs are that Michelin is reversing its position on bidding to become the new tyres supplier for Formula One from next season.
We’ve been here before, but it looks more and more certain that Italian tyres manufacturer Pirelli has raced into the lead again.
Didier Miraton, a Michelin managing partner, has told French newspaper L’Equipe at Le Mans: “The development time for 2011 seems very compromised now.”
Meanwhile, Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s competition director, was spotted in Montreal last weekend where he was having talks with F1 teams association FOTA.
It is believed that some days ago contracts were drawn up and signed with the representative of Formula 1’s commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone.
The final hurdle is the signing off by the FIA’s legal department.
Michelin’s Miraton indicated that the French company is essentially now out of the running.
“It is probably too late for the deadlines of next year,” he continued. “We have intervened to help, modestly, but at the rate things are going, I’m pessimistic.”
Alex Kapadia, Operations Team
Number: Z8037079
Reg: NKF419
