Indeed, much about the 2014 range is new, since the characteristics of no fewer than 12 tyres are new this year. “Michelin has effectively revolutionised its range for the 2014 FIA WEC and for Le Mans,” notes Jérôme MONDAIN, the manager of MICHELIN Motorsport's endurance racing programmes. The chief aim of MICHELIN Motorsport's engineers over the two-day test in the south of France will be to gather additional information to feed the database developed in the course of its pre-season test work in order to:

- confirm that the performance delivered by the new tyres matches not only the expectations of MICHELIN‟s partners, but also the French firm‟s objectives and the data gathered so far;
- work on harmonising the way the tyres and cars function together in race trim;
- narrow down the windows during which the different tyres can be used, notably in preparation for next month's 6 Hours of Silverstone.

“Today, when our partners present their latest cars to us, they hand us a USB dongle containing a digital file,” says Jérôme MONDAIN. “The simulation tools MICHELIN Motorsport uses now are so advanced and powerful that they permit us to specify the characteristics of our new tyres with practically no margin of error. Track testing is essentially used to sign off the different solutions and optimise the end-result, notably in terms of optimising the harmonisation of the tyre/car package.”

With the presence at Le Castellet of 23 of the 27 Michelin-equipped cars registered for the 2014 FIA WEC, MICHELIN Motorsport's engineers are looking forward to gathering a vast amount of data. MICHELIN endurance tyres for the LMP1 prototypes The tyres for the LMP1 prototypes have been completely redesigned in order to equip cars which themselves have undergone substantial changes compared with recent seasons. The latest Michelin tyres are more efficient and, despite being five or six centimetres narrower and eight kilograms lighter (per set of four), they deliver the same level of performance as last year's solutions (target: quadruple stints at Le Mans). Three different basic types are available: slicks, rain tyres and hybrid tyres. The slicks come in a choice of two compounds, SOFT and MEDIUM, which are in turn available for HIGH and LOW temperatures. Michelin has also adapted its solutions to the specific characteristics of the different cars in order to optimise its contribution to each partner. There are also two types of rain tyre: WET and FULL WET. The size of MICHELIN's latest LMP1 endurance racing tyres is now the same front and rear, i.e. 31/71-18, instead of 36/71- 18 (front) and 37/71-18 (rear) previously.

Michelin reinforces itself in LMP2
After returning to LMP2 prototypes in 2013 with PeCom Racing, Michelin has invested further in the class this year. Following the decision of the Argentine team's boss Luis PEREZCOMPANC to switch from LMP2 to GTE AM, Michelin has decided to join forces with two new partners in the 2014 FIA WEC, namely SMP Racing (two ORECA 03-NISSANs) and STRAKKA Racing (Dome Strakka S103-NISSAN). Furthermore, the French firm's partners at the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours will also include SEBASTIEN LOEB Racing (ORECA 03- NISSAN), Signatech Alpine (Alpine A450-NISSAN) and OAK Racing-Team Asia (LIGIER JS P2-HPD), while LARBRE Compétition (MORGAN-JUDD) is currently the first reserve entry for June's race and could be called upon to join the above list.

Here again, competitors will benefit from new Michelin tyres. From this year, the regulations which cover the class do not permit the use of so-called confidential tyres, i.e. those which remain the property of their maker and which contain certain technical secrets As a consequence, Michelin has designed new tyres which pack its best technology without incorporating elements covered by trade secrets.

The aim during their development was to make the change to non-confidential tyres with no corresponding drop-off in terms of performance. Like last year, the sizes of the tyres used by the LMP2 prototypes are 30/65-18 (front) and 31/71-18 (rear). The range is made up of three types of slick (SOFT, MEDIUM and MEDIUM Plus), and two types of rain tyre (WET and FULL WET).

New Michelin rain tyres for the GTE cars
In LM GTE Pro and LM GTE AM, Michelin's partners will benefit from new WET and FULL WET rain tyres this season. MICHELIN Motorsport's engineers worked hard over the winter break to increase the efficiency of both its compounds and its tread patterns in order to deliver enhanced water-clearance capacity and grip. The sizes used by the LM GTE runners are 30/68-18 (front) and 31/71-18 (rear). Michelin‟s partners will have a choice of three types of slick (different compounds and temperature windows), along with the two new rain tyres it has just developed.

“Le Castellet is a very exacting circuit when it comes to tyres,” concludes Jérôme MONDAIN. “That will enable us to benefit from a speedy and comprehensive feedback of information.”

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