Tequila Patron ESM Switches to Michelins

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Tequila Patron ESM has made the switch from Dunlop to Michelin tires, beginning with this weekend’s FIA WEC Six Hours of Nürburgring.

The Florida-based team, which has run every FIA World Endurance Championship race to date on Dunlops, has opted for the French tire giant, after reportedly facing setup challenges with its Ligier JS P2 Nissan on the new-for-2016 Dunlop LMP2 tire in the opening three races.

Fellow Ligier team RGR Sport, which also receives technical and operational support from OAK Racing, will remain on Dunlops this weekend, which will provide a direct comparison between the two tire brands.

“We’re looking to maximize the speed of the Ligiers, so we decided to switch to Michelins and be able to gather as much information as possible for 2017,” team owner Scott Sharp told Sportscar365.

ESM’s switch brings open tire competition back to the LMP2 class, as Michelin had not been represented by a full-season team in the WEC until now.

Three LMP2 teams, however, ran Michelin rubber in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as in the European Le Mans Series.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John