Towards the end of March, the FIA officially launched the tender for the presentation of bids by tire manufacturers to become the exclusive supplier for F1 and other preparatory categories starting from 2025.
In fact, the supplier will have to supply the tires not only for the top series, but also for Formula 2 and Formula 3 for a period of three years, from 2025 to 2027, with an additional option for the 2028 season. Also in this case, the manufacturer will be chosen exclusively, so there will be only a single supplier, without reopening the challenges of the past.
The tender constitutes the first phase of the FIA’s nomination process of an exclusive tire supplier for the three championships, the one in which the various interested manufacturers will present their proposals. The chosen manufacturer will supply new 18-inch tires starting from 2025, as the current tender with Pirelli will end at the end of 2024.
At the moment, only the Italian manufacturer has concretely expressed its interest in taking part in the tender, even if all the documents requested by the FIA are being studied before the deadline set for May 15th. Conversely, other manufacturers have instead maintained a more secluded position, including Michelin, which does not seem interested in taking part in the tender.
According to the federation, the objectives for the new tires have been agreed through consultation with Liberty Media and the teams: the target would be to minimize overheating and experience low degradation, while creating the possibility to vary the strategy. According to the French company, however, it would be more than a facade statement, because to have a show F1 wants tires with accentuated degradation that could lead to more pit stops and various strategic situations.
Pirelli is the current tire supplier for F1 and the preparatory categories
Photo by: Motorsport Images
“We’ve been arguing with them for a long time and we don’t agree, because they say to have the show you have to have tires that destroy themselves. And I think we don’t know how to do that. So, we can’t agree,” Menegaux said. to The Driveexplaining that Michelin disagrees that the best way to produce spectacular and competitive racing is to design tires with marked degradation.
According to the manager of the transalpine company, the races would improve in terms of entertainment by following the exact opposite path, i.e. giving the riders the opportunity to push constantly: “The teams should understand the performance of the tires and take advantage of the fact that the tire performs well from the first to the last lap”.
Currently Michelin is the official supplier for the MotoGP and the Hypercars in the WEC championship
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
For these reasons, Menegaux does not see the future of Michelin in Formula 1 in the short term: “First of all, we have to remind ourselves why Michelin is in racing. The first element is not about the show. It’s not about the brand. It’s about the technology. We’re into racing because it’s the best way to quickly test new technology. This is the first reason.”
“And of course there are side benefits, like the show. A side benefit is brand awareness. But in terms of brand awareness, Michelin is one of the best known brands in the world. We don’t need to do that,” Menegaux added. , underlining the strength of the French brand also in terms of notoriety.
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