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LinkedInMichelin extends FIA World Rally Championship supplier agreement until 2019
Michelin has extended its contract with the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) to continue supplying its tyres until 2019 and welcomed open competition between different tyre manufacturers.
The announcement comes as the French tyre company is on course to have recorded half a century of drivers’ and manufacturers’ world rally championships this weekend at RallyRACC Catalunya – Rally de España.
“I’m delighted Michelin has furthered its commitment to WRC for another three years,” said WRC Promoter managing director, Oliver Ciesla. “Michelin was winning world rallies when the WRC started and more than 40 years later it is still on top of the podium, and hoping to reach two more landmarks this weekend.
This means that Michelin will not be the exclusive tyre supplier of WRC as the new deal has been described as an extension of its current agreement, which allows Pirelli and DMACK to supply tyres to teams too.
Although Michelin is one of three tyre suppliers in WRC the factory teams are equipped with the French rubber.
“We are honoured to be working so closely with the factory teams and the confidence they have in us keeps driving us to design the best possible tyres,” said Michelin, motorsport director, Pascal Couasnon.
“Our loyalty to the sport is also due to the close ties that exist between the discipline and everyday motoring, since the WRC features roads and tracks that are used by ordinary motorists,” added Couasnon. “The more powerful cars that are poised to make their debut in 2017 pose a fresh challenge for our engineers whose mission is to continue conceiving tyres that are not only increasingly competitive, but also safer and more versatile.”
