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Michelin Confirmed as Hypercar Tire Provider

Michelin to provide tires for the WEC hypercar category for three seasons, starting in 20-21

Photo: Antonin Vincent / DPPI

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest has struck a three-season deal with Michelin to provide tires for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s new hypercar class.

Announced on Friday, Michelin will become the sole tire manufacturer for the category which is set to be on track for the 2020-21 campaign.

A single tire supplier has been written into the regulations since December 2018, when the technical requirements for the new class were first laid out in full.

Michelin has been involved in the LMP1 class of the WEC since the first season, and also previously provided tires for its forebears the Le Mans Series and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.

“The FIA World Endurance Championship and particularly the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has enjoyed the benefit of Michelin’s technical expertise and pioneering outlook for many years now,” said ACO president Pierre Fillon.

“As supplier of the new Hypercar class, the French manufacturer will be making a vital contribution to the bright new era of endurance racing.”

Michelin’s executive vice president of the Americas for Michelin Group Scott Clark, whose wing is in charge of the company’s global motorsport segment, said the hypercar class will provide “particularly interesting challenges” for the manufacturer.

“We are very pleased to have been selected as the tire supplier to the new hypercar category in the World Endurance Championship, which will enable Michelin to remain committed to the highest level of endurance racing, where our brand has excelled for over 20 years,” he said.

“The new hypercar category, vehicles most similar to exotic supercars, offers us new and particularly interesting challenges and also allows us to strengthen our partnership with exclusive vehicle manufacturers.

“As always, our goal is to develop tires that deliver the highest levels of performance and consistency over their life.

“Additionally, we look forward to bringing innovations that deliver sustainable solutions to the series, in complete alignment with Michelin Group’s strategy.”

Goodyear, which recently returned to international sports car racing in the WEC’s LMP2 category, also expressed an interest in supplying tires for hypercar and is understood to have submitted a bid.

Daniel Lloyd is a UK-based reporter for Sportscar365, covering the FIA World Endurance Championship, Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, among other series.

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