Michelin CEO explains why they 'CANNOT AGREE' Formula 1 return

Formula 1

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Michelin CEO explains why they 'CANNOT AGREE' F1 return

Michelin have not been in F1 since they withdrew in 2006

Joe Ellis

Thursday 20 April 2023 13:57

Michelin and Formula 1 have discussed a return to the sport for the tyre manufacturer, according to Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux.

Michelin have not been in F1 since 2006 when they withdrew following the aftermath of the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

That race saw all Michelin-tyred cars forced to withdraw before the race began due to safety concerns which left only six Bridgestone-tyred cars on the grid.

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Pirelli have had the monopoly on F1 tyres since 2011 but the contract is up for renewal, which has led to conversations with Michelin.

Only Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi competed in the 2005 United States Grand Prix

Menegaux: We cannot agree

Menegaux has come out and vehemently denied any imminent Michelin involvement in the sport because organisers demand a 'good show'.

"The question is, how do we leverage technology to have a good show?" Menegaux said. "And that’s where F1 comes into play, because we have been discussing with them for a very long time and we are not in agreement.

"Because they say to have the show, you have to have tires that destroy themselves. And I think we don’t know how to do this. So, we cannot agree. Teams should be understanding tire performance and capitalising on the fact that the tire is going to be performing from the first lap around the circuit to the last.

“The drivers will tell you they want to be at their maximum all the time. And when I hear the drivers in Formula 1 say ‘I like Formula 1’ but they say no no, it’s not possible."