Despite Ferrari’s F1 Championship win on Bridgestone tyres, BAR-Honda, the second-most successful Bridgestone team in this year’s competition, has announces that it will switch to Michelin tyres for next season’s campaign. Bridgestone is investigating the legal implications of the request, while Michelin regards the move as a vote of confidence in its F1 tyres.
Resulting from a co-operation between the car manufacturers Volkswagen and Ferrari could be an involvement of the Germans in the Italian sports car manufacturer, which also owns Maserati. Should Fiat need more money in order to emerge from its own crisis Volkswagen could be ready for a take-over if the price for Ferrari is right. So writes the German online service Der Spiegel-Online. In the meantime Volkswagen denies the news as an “absolute speculation”.
The row over tyres used in Formula 1 escalated when Ferrari’s Technical Director Ross Brawn said that Ferrari was considering lodging protests over the results of several of this season’s races. A large number of Michelin teams “were running illegal tyres for a considerable amount of time” he said in an interview with Autosport magazine, dismissing suggestions that the row is damaging the sport. Michelin claims that its tyres are legal. As far as the average F1 fans are concerned, they would doubtless prefer the 2003 championship to be decided on the track by drivers, rather than in a courtroom by lawyers.
In an admission that surprised nobody, Ferrari admitted that it was the source of the complaint to the FIA about Michelins’ allegedly-illegal Formula 1 tyres. The complaint was made after the Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw the World Championship lead of Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher cut to just one point. Michelin, who denies that its tyres contravene FIA regulations, was talking about a boycott of the next F1 race (Monza, 14 September) but the company is believed to be working on getting re-designed tyres ready for the event.
The ruling body of Formula One, the FIA, has made a ruling that could effectively brand Michelin’s tyres as illegal. This follows a complaint, believed to have been made by Ferrari and Bridgestone, although both have denied it, that Michelin’s tread is wider than the 270 mm permitted by F1 regulations. If Michelin has to scrap its current tyres, the company cannot possibly modify the design before the Italian Grand Prix on September 14th and Michelin’s Pierre Dupasquier has suggested that the five teams running on Michelins might boycott the Monza GP. He says: “Our partners would have to spend a lot of money without any guarantee that they would not be disqualified. It is up to them to decide.”
In the USA, Bridgestone/Firestone has turned more than 200 of the company’s trailers into mobile billboards, featuring images of tyres and vehicles. One side of the trailer features Bridgestone tyres fitted to an Enzo Ferrari, motorcycle, 18-wheeler and stylised Grand Prix racing car. The other side pictures Firestone agricultural and racing tyres, with pictures of a tractor and an Indy Car. The brand’s heritage is emphasised by a picture of Harvey Firestone.
Michelin’s Motorsport Director, Pierre Dupasquier, has been reported in the British media saying that the tyre manufacturer developed new compounds and constructions for Formula 1 during the winter. Compared with 2002, the new tyres should be about one second quicker per lap and he hopes that the teams Michelin fits in 2003 can break the dominance of the Bridgestone/Ferrari package.
It has been decided by Formula 1’s governing bodies that any technical changes will be delayed until the 2005 season. One of the expected changes is the re-introduction of slick tyres, but this has been opposed by Rory Byrne, Chief Designer for Ferrari. He believes that driving on slicks with today’s faster lap times would increase the danger for the drivers.
Press reports at the weekend suggest that Formula 1 team McLaren wants to pool R&D information on tyres with rival team Williams. Both teams run on Michelin tyres and McLaren MD Martin Whitmarsh believes that sharing information will serve both teams’ common interest in getting closer to Ferrari.
Ferrari has launched its latest car, the 350 + km/hr Enzo Ferrari, named after the company’s founder. The tyres for the vehicle (of which 349 will be made) are specially-manufactured by Bridgestone and are called the Potenza RE050 Scuderia. Sizes are 245/35 ZR 19 (front) and 345/35 ZR 19 (rear).
It was December 1999, when Michelin announced its comeback to the Formula 1. In the 80s the French company held a leading position and withdrew after having proved to itself and the world that it could build unbeatable racing tyres. When the 2001 Grand-Prix season starts in Melbourne on March, 4th it will also be the start for an additional tyre supplier called Michelin. BMW/Williams, Mild Seven, Benetton, Renault Sport, Jaguar Racing and Prost Grand Prix have already chosen Michelin, and Toyota will join the club next year. So far, the Japanese Bridgestone seems to have an advantage. As suppliers to Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes they are already covering the “favourites” with four “winning” cars, whilst the other teams have to come from behind. There are various reasons for these racing teams to have chosen Michelin. Renault and Michelin simply belong together. And that Toyota, “the” motor-car company is fighting for points all over the world on Michelin tyres isn’t a minor consideration. At the press conference Edouard Michelin appeared as a truly enthusiastic company leader with a sense of sport. Michelin is not some newcomer to the scene who does not know what’s going on. The team around Edouard Michelin know this and that is why they are competing. They want to prove to themselves and the world, that there is only one company able to build the best tyres in the world: Michelin! Hence, Edouard Michelin enthusiastically let himself get carried away to imagine that in the future people will say that Formula 1 will be won on Michelin. The winner runs on Michelin, all others are on tyres.
Formula 1 Champion Michael Schumacher believes that the secret of the Williams-BMW team lies in the Michelin tyres. Michelin seems to have done a good job so that Williams-BMW has become competitive, the Ferrari driver told La Gazzetta dello Sport, during team testing in Mugello. “I would have thought that Bridgestone’s advantage would have lasted longer”, said the German, who has Bridgestone tyres on his Ferrari, whereas brother Ralf uses Michelin tyres on the Williams-BMW.
Bridgestone became the first winner of Ferrari’s President’s Prize, one of only two to be awarded to suppliers of Ferrari and Maserati, marking excellence and innovation. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo presented the award to Shoshi Arakawa, president and CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone Europe at a ceremony at Ferrari HQ. Also present was EC president Romano Prodi. The award was in recognition of Bridgestone’s role in helping Ferrari to the F1 Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships and for tyre development for Gran Turismo cars.
Although happy with the performance of Bridgestone tyres, McLaren are said to be considering switching to Michelin next season. The Michelins have performed well for competing team Williams, but are said to need further development. McLaren feel that any improvement in performance from the Michelins could put them at an advantage against arch-rivals Ferrari.
The Bridgestone Potenza S-02 is the oe tyre for the new Ferrari 360 Modena. The sizes are 215/40 ZR 18 (front) and 275/40 ZR 18 (rear).
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