JUNE 21, 2002

Michelin pushing on wet tire development

Michelin is aware that in the past the company's wet weather tires have not been in the same league as those of Bridgestone and in recent months has been working hard to improve the situation.

IF you ask about wet tires in the F1 paddock you will be told that Bridgestone will walk away with any race in the wet. Michelin is aware that in the past the company's wet weather tires have not been in the same league as those of Bridgestone and in recent months the French company has been working hard (but very quietly) to improve the situation. The company has been carrying out a very low-key test program involving Olivier Beretta, driving Williams and Arrows chassis. The former is one of the cars which was used for the company's initial tests a couple of years ago and the latter are believed to be 1998 chassis which are used by ORECA in its "F1 Driving Experience" program. Beretta is an ORECA sports car driver and does a lot of the team's Michelin testing.

Beretta was running recently at Miramas where Michelin flooded sections of the circuit to try the latest wet rubber.