‘Hard’ Michelin Force LTX tyre debuts at Rally Australia

Both the hard ‘H4’ and softer ‘S4’ versions of the Michelin LTX Force gravel tyre have now enjoyed a taste of WRC action. The tyre maker reports that all WRC teams ran the Michelin LTX Force during the 2014 Rally Australia on the weekend, fielding at various times the S4 – which also hit the gravel during 2014 Rally Finland – and, for the first time, the H4. The Australian round was won by Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia in their Volkswagen Polo R WRC; the pair shared the podium with team mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila along with Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Floene in a 1-2-3 Volkswagen clean sweep.

The tyres used during Rally Australia were size 205/65R15 fitments with an asymmetrical, directional tread pattern. Each tyre weighed 16.4 kilogrammes. The LTX Force H4 tyre was deployed upon hard-wearing, aggressive non-sealed surfaces in dry conditions and at temperatures over 15°Celsius. The S4 tyre was used on smooth gravel in the wet or damp and at temperatures up to 15° Celsius.

Michelin says the aim of the Michelin Motorsport engineering team during the Force LTX development process was to maintain the high level of strength of the Latitude Cross that made its final appearance during Rally Poland late in June, while at the same time delivering enhanced consistency and more even wear across the tread to ensure lasting performance over long competitive sections.

Improvements are reported to have been achieved through two major technical evolutions: In regards to construction, modifications to the new tyre’s shoulders favour a more even spread of the load across a bigger contact patch; Michelin shares that new construction resists both abrasion and damage to the tread’s outer blocks. The other evolution relates to the Force LTX compound – the new compound used in the S4 version is more resistant to heat build-up.