MOTORSPORT
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.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 which has been progressively rolled out around the world through 2002 is to become the first global tyre. The aim of global tyres is to produce tyre sizes for the worldwide market from single region manufacturing points. That is to say, tyres of any given size type will be manufactured in a single region and shipped globally. Currently eight North-American specific tyre sizes are manufactures in Lawton, Oklahoma, and 31 popular European sizes are manufactured in Germany. The global approach will significantly reduce manufacturing and equipment costs. The F1 is the first of many tyres that Goodyear will be offering on a global scale.
In South Africa, a V8 speedster called Spirit of Dunlop, shod with locally-produced SP Sport 7000D tyres, achieved an average speed of 388.538 km/hr over a measures kilometre, monitored by Motorsport SA. This is an unofficial, but recognised, World Land Speed Record for standard production tyres, says Dunlop Tyres South Africa. It also beats the South African Land Speed Record of 372.401 km/hr, which has stood since 1990. The Spirit of Dunlop was driven by three times SA Production Car Champion Grant van Schalkwyk.
Goodyear now offers the Wrangler F1 in the size 285/30 ZR 22 as an alternative fitment for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW X5 and the Mercedes M-class.
Michelin and Porsche have signed a partnership agreement with Porsche for the exclusive supply of racing tyres, effective from the first of January 2002. It concerns all Porsche’s competition activities, the national Porsche cups, plus the current and future official entries of Porsche Motorsport. The Porsche Super-Cup, which traditionally runs alongside several Formula 1 Grands-prix, including the Indianapolis GP, will henceforth be known as the Porsche Michelin Super-Cup. The German Porsche Carrera Cup will also be run under Michelin colours. Michelin, as the official partner, will be involved in all future motorsport development for Porsche.
Michelin and the Motorsport Division of the Porsche Club Great Britain have signed an agreement whereby Michelin will supply all tyres for the Porsche Cup and the Porsche Classic motor racing championships for the next three seasons. Cup competitors will use slick and wet racing tyres, while Classic racers will use specially-developed, road-legal Pilot Sport Cup race tyres.
A report commissioned by the Motorsport Industry Association and researched by various universities and management schools has concluded that the motorsport industry is worth nearly 5 billion Pounds a year to the UK economy. It also earns over 2.2 bn Pounds in export earnings; more than steel and agriculture combined, as well as employing 40,000 people. Three quarters of the world’s single seater racing cars are made in Britain and, in F1, 7 of last year’s 11 teams were based there.
As announced at the Detroit Motorshow, the new Bentley EXP Speed 8 will be exclusively equipped with Dunlop tyres for the 2001 Le Mans 24 hour race. This renews a 70 year old motorsport partnership. For many years the tyre brand has had a strong connection with Le Mans: exactly half the total number of winners have driven on Dunlop tyres.
Each year the motorcycle exhibition in Dortmund attracts many visitors, even though Munich has established a bigger show (every other year) for two-wheel fans in the meantime. More than 400 exhibitors took part in the 17th show from 28 February to 4 March and around 1,000 motorbikes could be seen in Dortmund. And on the tyre side? Only Dunlop presented a new tyre: the tyre manufacturer says that the D208 GP (front tyre 120/70 ZR 17, rear tyre 180/55 ZR 17) was developed based on experiences in motorsport. But apart from this, no more information was available. Dunlop couldn’t even tell NEUE REIFENZEITUNG a date for the official launch of the new product in Germany. And at all other tyre manufacturers‘ stands – Bridgestone, Cooper-Avon, Metzeler/Pirelli, Michelin – one could only see exactly the same product range as presented at Intermot last autumn – very disappointing so far. The only excitement for this year’s motorbike season will arise from the question if Bridgestone will be able to pass Metzeler and can climb to number one of the German market for motorbike tyres.
Bridgestone, the world’s second largest tyre manufacturer, invited a party of tyre dealers and important customers to the Monaco Grand Prix. And there was reason to celebrate as the first two drivers home were racing in cars shod with Bridgestone tyres. Michelin had to be content with third place, which went to Eddie Irvine. The Bridgestone management is using Formula One events to improve its relationships with important partners, plus involvement in motorsports breeds success – over the past three years brand image and brand awareness have improved significantly in Europe and Latin America. This not only helps to ensure that the ambitious volume targets are met, but has the effect of improving the consumers’ perception of the quality of the brand, which means that they are willing to pay a higher price for the tyres.
Speaking just before the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, Bridgestone President Shigeo Watanabe said that the company would remain a tyre supplier to Formula 1 “indefinitely”. He added: “Being in F1 has boosted our corporate image generally and has put us at the forefront of tyre technology in the eyes of the world. Our brand awareness has dramatically increased all over the world.” Watanabe said that the future would see more car manufacturers involved in the sport and he believes the number of tyre manufacturers will increase also.
KPMG has been appointed as official receiver for Colway Tyres and Motorway tyres. Production at both firms has ceased and the assets of the firms are to be sold. Total output from the retreading operations amounted to some 1,000,000 tyres in the preceding year. The demise of the retreading operation will indubitably have an effect on the UK retread market, and potentially on the waste tyre problem.
The Prost Formula 1 racing team has now signed a three-year deal with Michelin to supply tyres, beginning with the 2001 season. Prost has not yet chosen its second driver to team up with Jean Alesi.
High growth rates in the winter tyre business brought Bridgestone/Firestone a strong 1999 result. Turnover figures were further improved over the previous year, according to the management, with prestige products “WT 12” and “FW 930”. To ensure this is not just a “one-off” success, a new high-performance low-profile tyre, the “Bridgestone RE 040”, already fitted as original equipment on the new BMW Z8, is to be introduced this spring. In the standard tyre segment the “Firestone FH 590” is also expected to convert the company’s 2000 performance into figures. A new departmental structure has been introduced at Bad Homburg to increase work efficiency and customer friendliness. Some divisions, like distribution, logistics and data processing, have been more closely interlinked. In the last few years the OE share has grown considerably so that it now amounts to one third of sales. The independent tyre trade continues to be the basis of the company’s business activities but is supplemented by other distribution channels like cooperatives, regional chains and car franchise firms, whose special requirements are, above all, seen as an opportunity to gain more know-how and to sense the needs of the market even earlier. This year again the whole public relations effort of Bridgestone/Firestone Germany will very consciously be centred round motorsport and Formula One in particular. Previous experience has shown that the manufacturer and its trade partners have benefited from the resulting image transfer to the standard tyre range.
Jaguar has announced a long term partnership with Michelin in which, from next season, all F1 cars in the Jaguar/Ford racing stable will be fitted with Michelin tyres.
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