FEBRUARY 21, 2000

Michelin test team to be based at Williams

MICHELIN will have a Formula 1 test team this year - and it could be in action within a month.

MICHELIN will have a Formula 1 test team this year - and it could be in action within a month. The French tire company is due to enter Grand Prix racing in 2001 with the BMW Williams team and the team's technical director Patrick Head has confirmed that Michelin will use old Williams-BMW FW21B chassis for development work this year. The FW21B is a modified version of the 1999 car which uses BMW engines rather than Supertec V10s. The FW21B began testing at the end of September and was run by Williams throughout December and until the new FW22 was unveiled in January.

"An independent team is being set up," said Head. "It will be a small separate team to look after the Michelin testing. It will be based in the old BMW Motorsport building next to the Williams factory. Testing should begin in March or April and will take place at FIA-approved venues but not at the big organized tests. The team will go to European venues after the GrandsÊPrix have been held."

There is no word yet on who will do the development work but it is possible that Jorg Muller will be retained. He did the testing work last year for the BMW test team, which used an old Williams FW20 to develop the BMW V10 engine.

The crew of the Michelin test team is expected to be the same as the BMW test team with Charlie Moody expected to be named as team manager.