As the FIA World Endurance Championship celebrates its 100th round at the 6 Hours of Fuji this weekend (26-28 September), Michelin’s Hypercar partners will be able to choose between the soft and medium MICHELIN Pilot Sport slick compounds, with a rain tyre also available in the case of poor weather.
The race that got FIA WEC underway was the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida, USA on 17 March, 2012. It was won by the #2 Audi R18 on Michelin rubber.
Since that debut, the French firm’s tyres have progressed considerably to provide their hallmark blend of high performance, longevity and consistency as the sport’s technical regulations and its partners’ cars have evolved.
Subsequent generations of the MICHELIN Pilot Sport range have enjoyed success in all of the championship’s classes, including LMP1 (66 wins), LMP2 (nine wins), LMGTE Pro (73 wins) and LMGTE Am (78 wins), all of which permitted open competition between tyre firms.
That record continues with today’s Hypercars (33 wins), which were introduced in 2021 and for which Michelin was appointed exclusive supplier by the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) and FIA.
In total, Michelin has contributed to overall or class victories for 11 different marques – Toyota, Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, Rebellion, Alpine, Cadillac, ORECA, Aston Martin, Ford and Corvette.
For FIA WEC’s 100th clash, at Japan’s Fuji Speedway (4.563km), Michelin’s current Hypercar partners will have a choice between its soft and medium slicks, plus a wet-weather tyre.
“Compared with 2023 and 2024, we have adjusted our compound choice for this year’s race where we will have our soft and medium slicks, instead of the medium and hard,” explains Pierre Alves, Manager of Michelin Motorsport’s endurance racing programmes.
“Last season, the track temperature approached 45°C, but all of our partners opted for our medium option, which proved extremely consistent. The availability of the soft this year will provide the teams with a strategic alternative that could come into its own if the weather is unsettled, or in cool, drying conditions.”
Fuji Speedway is a fast, technically challenging ‘hybrid’ circuit that is hard on tyres, especially in terms of heat management. The track surface is relatively smooth, so there is little wear, but this means getting tyres up-to-temperature can be complex at the start of stints. Also, the fronts have time to cool considerably along the 1.5km straight, while the following sequence of turns makes big lateral and longitudinal demands of the rears.
Michelin has won every edition of the 6 Hours of Fuji to have counted towards FIA WEC, with either Toyota – which is targeting a tenth triumph on home soil this time around – or last year’s winner Porsche, who similarly prevailed in the championship’s most recent event in Austin (Texas, USA).
Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand via the official FIA WEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don’t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.
