NOVEMBER 6, 2000

Prost and Michelin

IT is no secret that Prost Grand Prix is thinking about joining forces with Michelin but the recent engine deal with Ferrari is complicating matters as the French tire manufacturer does not want its tire technology leaking to Ferrari, which remains one of Bridgestone's top teams. Bridgestone says that as far as it is concerned there is no problem for Prost to run on Michelin tires because it wants to divide the grid 50-50 with Michelin. At the moment Williams, Jaguar and the new Toyota team are declared Michelin runners, Benetton will announce a deal shortly and Prost would have made a fifth team. Minardi is also thought likely to switch to the French tires although probably not by choice.

The links with Ferrari are not likely to amount to much as Alain Prost cannot afford to be seen (or even suspected) to be handing over sensitive information to Ferrari and there is little that Ferrari can do to insist on such activity.