Michelin Archives - Page 289 of 321 - Tyrepress

Tyre industry pioneers, Michelin has a long history. Having begun in 1889, Michelin is now the second-largest tyre manufacturer in the world after Bridgestone and larger than both Goodyear and Contineantal.

Posts

Jaguar Pulls Out of F1

Jaguar is to pull out of Formula One at the end of 2004 and Ford’s engine maker Cosworth is also up for sale. F1 representatives believe this decision will have huge affects on the sport, which is under threat from carmakers seeking to establish a rival championship. The news certainly won’t be received well by Michelin, Jaguar’s F1 tyre supplier.

Joe Greenwell, chairman and CEO Jaguar and Land Rover said: Jaguar’s presence in Formula One has been a valuable marketing and brand awareness platform particularly outside our main markets of the US and the UK. However it was our collective view that it is time for Jaguar Cars to focus 100 per cent on our core business.”

It is thought that the company could no longer financially compete with rivals BMW and Mercedes, partners to Williams and McLaren. World champions Ferrari and new arrivals Toyota have estimated budgets in excess of $200 million a year. “It is so expensive to be successful in Formula One,” said Ford vice-president Richard Parry-Jones. “The money the sport generates is not distributed equitably to the various stakeholders,” he continued.

21st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Plan Chinese Venture

Chinese company Qingdao Doublestar has announced that it is forming a joint venture with Continental in China.

In a statement to the Shenzhen stock exchange the Chinese company is said to have reported that Conti is expected to start negotiations on financial terms and other venture details.

Once again the market’s focus is on China, where passenger car sales surged 76 per cent last year to 1.97 million units. Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Michelin and Yokohama all have existing operations within the expanding market.

21st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Dramatic Climax to Wales Rally GB

Petter Solberg has won the Wales Rally GB, claiming his third successive victory in what commentators described as a thrilling final day.

21st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Renault’s F1 Boss Questions Michelin

Renault’s Formula 1 team boss, Flavio Briatore has put pressure on his team’s tyre supplier, Michelin. In a statement the French car manufacturer said that in 2005 the team would have a competitive team of drivers and that the only question mark would be over the tyres. Mr Briatore said that he likes the Michelin guys, but they still lag behind their Bridgestone rivals and must work harder.

21st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Chinese GP Preview

China prepares to stage its first world championship Grand Prix this week as it hosts Formula One for the first time. The 5.451km (3.387-mile) Shanghai International Circuit is the second new venue to appear on the 2004 calendar, after Bahrain. The race is scheduled to last 56 laps; a total distance of 305.256km.

Although Michelin is confident it will perform well, Shanghai will highlight the ability of Formula One teams to react to new situations. Pascal Vasselon, Michelin’s F1 programme manager commented: “Given our experience in Bahrain earlier this year, choosing tyres for a previously unknown circuit such as Shanghai might appear quite routine – but that’s not the case at all. Certain corners at Shanghai have a unique configuration and two of them – which have an almost snail-like profile when viewed from above – are likely to put a greater load on tyres than anywhere else on the calendar.

“Generally, we expect the rate of wear to be fairly even left to right and front to rear, which makes things a little bit easier. From what we can see, the track surface looks fairly smooth and non- abrasive – another little difficulty we had to factor in when finalising the best tyre compromise. When you encounter a new circuit like this, with lots of directional changes, it is best to select compounds that have a slightly broader operational spectrum than usual. And to further minimise any risk of error, we will be taking tyres that have previously been used in racing conditions.”

21st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone: We Don’t Have It

German online service, F1Total is reporting that Bridgestone has declared its innocence in the recently tyre ‘theft’ fiasco. The company made its comments in response to accusations that Jenson Button’s blown Michelin could have ended up in Bridgestone’s possession. Bridgestone spokesman, Adrian Atkinson, said there was nothing in the accusations and that the Japanese tyre supplier had no parts of Button’s tyre. Observers expect that it is just a matter of time before the whole issue blows over.

16th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Minardi Tyre Controversy

While Rubens Barrichello was gaining pole position in preparation for his first win of the season, the Minardi Formula 1 team found itself at the centre of controversy. According to the ‘Home of F1’ online news service, Michelin Motorsport director, Pierre Dupasquier, has accused Minardi of stealing the remains of Jenson Button’s burst Michelin tyre. Mr Dupasquier alleges that the tyre was taken off a truck when Zsolt Baumgartner’s crashed Minardi was returned to pit lane, at the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago. The Minardi team, who run on Bridgestone tyres, have vehemently denied the accusation.

13th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Eating Out with Michelin

Michelin has launched a new Eating Out in Pubs guide which it claims “reflects the changes in dining seen in the UK in recent years.” The guide includes reviews of 500 dining pubs from around Britain and Ireland, ranging from “cutting-edge gastropubs” to town taverns.

The spin off, from its Hotel and Restaurant guide, details the individual pubs and inns including information about their menus, local specialities and drinks and even directions on how to find them.

The selection covers the entire Isles from 55 hotspots in the east of England, to 96 in the south west (including the Channel Islands). A total of 24 pubs are rated in Scotland, 29 in Wales, and 28 in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Michelin commented: “Pub food has changed a great deal over the last decade as more and more establishments put the emphasis on dining.” The publication also announces details of Michelin’s first ever Pub of the Year.

13th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

PSA Peugeot Citroën’s Stop and Start System

PSA Peugeot Citroën unveiled its new Stop and Start system at a ceremony in Paris earlier this week.

With the new system, the engine is automatically turned off and is in standby mode, when the vehicle stops at traffic lights and traffic jams. The engine instantly starts up again when the brake pedal is released, with the vehicle pulling away once the accelerator is pressed.

The Citroën C3 1.4i 16V Stop and Start, will feature Michelin tyres when it is rolled out in early November, and will be the first mass-produced car equipped with this environmentally conscious system. It will also be combined with SensoDrive technology; an electronically controlled manual gearbox. The new system is expected to be gradually extended to other Citroën and Peugeot vehicles.

The Group claims that the system has reduced fuel consumption by 10 per cent for city driving, six per cent in a standard combined cycle and up to 15 per cent in heavy traffic. CO2 emissions are said to be reduced by a similar proportion.

10th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin go to Monza with Victory in Mind

Fresh from its recent success in the Belgian Grand Prix Michelin is preparing for this weekend’s Italian GP. With Formula One’s summer testing ban finally at an end, the company has spent some crucial time evaluating its tyre compounds at the Monza circuit.
The tyre manufacturer is confident that it will give a good performance this weekend as it has scored six of its 74 F1 grand prix victories at Monza, courtesy of Jody Scheckter (Ferrari, 1979), Alain Prost (Renault, 1981), René Arnoux (Renault, 1982), Nelson Piquet (Brabham-BMW, 1983), Niki Lauda (McLaren-TAG Turbo, 1984) and Juan Pablo Montoya (BMW WilliamsF1 Team, 2001). And according to the company pre-race testing at Monza went very well with Antonio Pizzonia setting the week’s fastest lap in his Williams-BMW.

Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin motorsport director commented: “During the recent tests at Monza, there were two incidents involving tyres: two rear tyres were damaged – and the pressure loss was accurately identified and measured by the on-board telemetry. Missing valve caps were clearly to blame on both occasions.

“This is another factor to add to the numerous theories that have been put forward since the spate of spectacular tyre incidents during the most recent race in Spa – where the inside edges of certain kerbs were suspected of having caused a few problems. So far, our internal investigations have produced nothing that could provide a clear technical reason. That’s good news in a way, because we have not been able to identify any technical errors on our part, but at the same time it is frustrating because we have not been able to reach any definitive technical conclusions.”

Pascal Vasselon, Michelin F1 programme manager added: “As at most circuits, tyre manufacturers have to deliver a compromise when finalising tyre compounds for Monza. Despite the loads imposed by ultra-quick corners such as the Parabolica, tyre wear isn’t physically excessive. Combined with the sustained high speeds down the long straights, this lack of wear generates significant tyre temperatures. Consequently, we can’t afford to run compounds that are too soft. We will bring four different dry-weather options to Monza. Michelin has performed very well at Monza in recent seasons and our encouraging testing form indicates that our engineers have struck the right balance once again.”

8th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Retailers Strengthen Voice Through the TIC

Nick Gregg, group managing director at ATS Euromaster, has been appointed to join the Tyre Industry Council later this year, strengthening the retail representation on the Council.

The TIC claims that its tyre safety work is expanding, particularly in the area of tyre safety clinics and roadside tyre checks, and so welcomes the support from retailers as well as tyre manufacturers.

7th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Analysts Applaud Michelin Deal

The recent cost cutting agreement signed by Michelin and USWA is a “significant achievement,” according to Deutsche Bank analysts.

6th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Solberg Wins Japan’s Inaugural Rally

Subaru’s Petter Solberg has won the inaugural Rally of Japan. By the end of the second leg, Solberg had built up lead of more than a minute over Citreon’s Sebastien Loeb.

6th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Group Tyre Team Win Michelin F1 Pitstop Challenge

A team made up of tyre fitters from Elite Garages of Horsham and Broadway Tyres of High Wycombe demonstrated their high speed skills by winning Michelin F1 Pitstop Challenge at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

6th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Asserts Itself as Latin America’s Number One

International News

Carlos Redondo has been Pirelli’s CEO for Latin America since the beginning of 2003. Before that he was CFO for Pirelli Tyres worldwide. With a turnover of approximately 1 billion euros, about one third of Pirelli’s total worldwide turnover Mr Redondo is successfully piloting his division from its headquarters in Sao Paulo. Tyres & Accessories met Mr Redondo last month in Usuhaia, south Argentina, in conjunction with the launch of its new Sottozero winter tyre. To download the whole article as a PDF file, click here.

3rd September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors