OCTOBER 28, 2005

Michelin blasts FIA

Michelin has issued a press release which attacks the FIA for being "incoherent" in its rule-making. The release comes on the day when FIA President Max Mosley will be elected for another four-year term.

Michelin, annoyed at the FIA's plans for 2006, says that the move does not make sense considering the FIA's proclaimed policy of reducing costs.

"These new rules will immediately increase tyre development, production and logistics costs by 15% since, contrary to what has been said, the 2005 solutions can by no means be adapted to the new 2006 regulation," Michelin said. "This decision reveals a lack of technical understanding of the product and of what a tyre really is. In fact, tyre wear and grip are calculated to ensure an optimum performance for a specific distance. To switch from a tyre designed to run for 350 kms in 2005 to a tyre that can be changed every 100 kms (or less) in 2006 will require tyre manufacturers to design an entirely new generation of tyres and will therefore increase costs. As many have said and written in the past few weeks, we can only question the meaning behind this decision which negates all of the benefits of Michelin's research in 2005 to design a tyre capable of running for 350 kms, allowing its partners to win 18 races throughout the year."

Michelin went on question the FIA's "hidden motivations" for the 2006 F1 regulation and concluded that "once again, this event illustrates F1's problems of incoherent decision-making and lack of transparency'.