The FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) has selected Michelin to provide tires for the sport’s headlining hybrid prototypes which deliver almost 700hp. The Pilot Sport range includes four types of tires: soft, medium, hard and a rain tire.
The soft compound is suited for track temperatures from 0°C to 15°C, and dry or slightly damp conditions. The medium compound is ideal between 15°C to 25°C, in dry conditions. The hard compound is optimal for track temperatures in excess of 25°C, in dry conditions, and abrasive surfaces.
Michelin states the tires for the FIA WEC were designed entirely using virtual tools. In 2020, prior to the introduction of the Hypercar class, Michelin designed a Hypercar tire range which only existed on paper. The Pilot Sport range was conceived using simulation technology alone, over a period of just 10 months.
Michelin’s motorsport program is running ahead of the targets set in the group’s Everything Sustainable plan for 2050. The Pilot Sport slick and rain tires raced by the FIA WEC Hypercar prototypes also contain between 30 and 45% renewable and recycled materials.
In other news, Michelin has won more than 80 rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota, Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, Alpine, etc. Furthermore, more than 40 different drivers have won FIA WEC races on Michelin rubber, including former F1 champion Fernando Alonso, ‘Mister Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen, Sébastien Buemi, Kamui Kobayashi, Mark Webber and Allan McNish.
