Michelin Named Exclusive Tire Supplier on One-Year Deal

Michelin has been named as the official tire manufacturer for the DTM’s switch to GT3 machinery this year following a 10-season partnership with Hankook.

The DTM managing organization ITR and Michelin have signed a one-year deal giving the French company rights to supply tires to the German series’ grid of FIA GT3 cars.

It marks a change over from Hankook, which replaced Dunlop as the official DTM supplier before the start of the 2011 season.

Michelin will bring its Pilot Sport GT S9M brand to the national championship.

“Michelin stands for top quality and absolute premium products that have not only been used on the road for decades, but also come first in racing,” said DTM boss Gerhard Berger.

“Every race driver will confirm: the consistently high performance of Michelin tires over the entire duration of the race is unbeatable.”

Michelin will provide both tires and on-site support to teams signed up for the 2021 DTM campaign, which is due to get underway at Monza in June. Two official pre-season tests are scheduled for April and May, at Hockenheim and the Lausitzring respectively.

Each car will be allowed two sets of tires per single-driver race, while three sets will be permitted for the Monza season-opener.

Michelin’s new DTM partnership adds to its existing supply of tires in other GT3 racing competitions such as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona class, International GT Open and the Michelin Le Mans Cup. 

“Michelin is delighted at the prospect of working with DTM management,” said Michelin Customer Racing Director Julien Vial.

“DTM is a truly international series that boasts an entry of world-class drivers and prestigious sports cars brands, and we are going to provide this fine field with the Michelin Pilot Sport GT S9M which is engineered to deliver high performance and exceptional consistency.

“On the one hand, we provide the drivers, teams and manufacturers with high-performance tires and a portfolio of services tailored to meet their needs.

“On the other, Michelin benefits from invaluable feedback from the field, the value of which is heightened by the similarities that exist between GT3 cars and production supercars.”