Fuji Speedway is fast, technical and especially challenging for Michelin due to its three distinctive sectors which each demand different qualities from tyres. The Hypercars will run either the soft or medium Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance slick this weekend (25-27 September), with a Wet compound also available in case of rain.
The 6 Hours of Fuji – a near-permanent feature on the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar since the launch of the series back in 2012 – provides teams and drivers with the unique experience of competing against the backdrop of the iconic Mount Fuji, watched by Japan’s considerable community of endurance racing fans.
The 4.563km circuit is second only to Le Mans in terms of top speed, and today’s Hypercars exceed 330km/h down its notoriously long, 1.475km main straight. At such high velocity, their Michelin slicks have to withstand a vertical load of more than 2.5 tonnes.
“The first sector includes the long straight, where a good trade-off is necessary between aerodynamic performance, power and tyre temperature management,” explains Pierre Alves, manager of Michelin Motorsport’s endurance racing programmes. “Sector two is more about fast corners, while the third sector is a sequence of slower turns that place the emphasis on mechanical grip. The key promises to be how the drivers care for their tyres through the fast T4 and T5.”
As in 2025, the Hypercar partner teams will be able to choose between Michelin’s soft and medium slicks, plus a rain tyre. This selection will need to cover the full spectrum of temperature windows that can be expected at Fuji at this time of year, while simultaneously offering competitors different strategy options as a function of how the track conditions and weather evolve over the weekend.
“This is the current Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance range’s first trip to Fuji,” continues Alves. “These new tyres contain 50 per cent renewable or recycled materials and mark a step forward in terms of warm-up performance. They reach their ideal running temperature sooner into a stint, so the drivers feel more confident during early laps, especially when track and tyre temperatures are relatively low.
“The aim is to strike the ideal balance between warm-up performance, immediate performance and degradation management, in order to benefit from consistent grip over complete stints.”
Last year, the Japanese fixture represented FIA WEC’s 100th round and saw the Alpine A424 score its maiden world-class victory helped by a double-stint on its Michelin tyres, with Peugeot taking the chequered flag second. Are we in store for another French triumph this time around, or will Toyota extend its extraordinary home turf tally to ten wins in association with Michelin? Ferrari, BMW, Cadillac, Aston Martin and Genesis will clearly all be keen to prevent either of those scenarios from happening…
Track action will kick off with free practice on Friday, 25 September. The season’s sixth clash is scheduled to start at 11:00 local time (GMT+9) on Sunday, 27 September.
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