In mid-March, the FIA announced a tender for the supply of tires for Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 for the 2025-2027 seasons. Pirelli, the current tire supplier, has already announced its interest in the tender. According to rumors, Bridgestone is also thinking about returning to Formula 1, but the French Michelin will certainly not be among the bidders.
Michelin chief Florent Menego said the company is not interested in entering Formula 1 due to the fact that the championship leadership needs tires from the supplier, which have to wear out during the race and lose efficiency.
Florent Menego: “The question is, how do we use technology to put on a good show? And this is where Formula 1 comes into play, with which we have been negotiating for a long time, but have never come to an agreement. They say the show needs tires that self-destruct, and we don’t understand how such rubber can be made and disagree with this approach.
We believe teams need to understand tire performance and take advantage of the fact that tires can last the entire distance from the first to the last lap.
Riders say they want tires that can push as hard as possible. From what I’ve heard from Formula 1 drivers, and I love Formula 1, they say it’s impossible to attack the whole distance with the current tyres.
We must not forget the purpose of Michelin races. We don’t race for show or name recognition. We compete for technology. Racing is the best way to test new technology. This is the main reason.
Of course, the show and brand awareness are additional benefits of racing, but when it comes to recognition, Michelin is already one of the best known brands in the world.
Our company supplies soft, medium and hard tires for MotoGP, and any team’s bike can win on these tires without major design changes. The victory depends on the settings, the type of track and the rider.
In MotoGP, even the best teams cannot win thanks to the tires we supply them. That is why we will not return to Formula 1.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
