One critical aspect of any endurance race is the performance of the tyres and at Fuji is it majorly important at a track known for its variable conditions.
Located in the countryside, but not far from the sea and close to Mount Fuji, it is often affected by fickle weather.
Indeed, forecasters predict variable conditions for the 2016 6 Hours of Fuji, with a combination of sunshine and clouds, along with an omnipresent threat of rain. The temperature is likely to peak at around 17°C during the day, while the track temperature will depend on the degree of sunshine.
“The intense heat we had in Mexico and Texas called for a specific tyre, namely the ‘Hot Weather Plus’. For Japan, the conditions will be cooler,” notes Jérôme Mondain, manager of Michelin’s endurance racing programmes.
“Indeed, we might be in for a mixed bag of weather for the race which means tyre strategies could play an important role. In addition to the possibility of rain, the amount of sunshine could be a big factor because of its influence on tyre choice. If there is cloud cover, the track temperature will no doubt remain below 25°C, but clear conditions could see it rise to around 30°C. This potentially puts us in an overlap zone between our ‘Hot Weather Plus’, ‘Hot Weather’ and ‘Cold Weather’ tyres.
"The teams and drivers will need to select the strategy they believe works best for them, but Michelin’s technical team advisors will obviously be on-hand to assist them in their deliberations.”
If the track is wet, or in the case of heavy rain, Michelin’s partners will be able to fit either ‘Wet’ or‘Full Wet’ tyres whose tread pattern is designed to optimise the clearance of water.
For damp conditions, Michelin’s LMP1 drivers will be able to select the MICHELIN Hybrid which was introduced by the French firm for the FIA WEC in 2012. Like a slick in appearance, the Michelin Hybrid does not have a tread pattern and ensures maximum grip on damp tracks thanks to the specific rubber compound used for its tread.
LMP1 (size: 31/71-18)
Dry conditions:
- SOFT ‘Hot Weather Plus’
- SOFT ‘Hot Weather’
- SOFT ‘Cold weather’
Damp or drying conditions:
- MICHELIN Hybrid
The ‘slick’ MICHELIN Hybrid does not have a tread pattern. It was first used to replace the conventional intermediate tyre in 2012. Its revolutionary compound enables it to be used in damp or drying conditions.
Wet conditions:
- WET
- Full WET
The ‘Wet’ and ‘Full Wet’ have the same tread pattern but different compounds. Number of tyres authorised for the 6 Hours of Fuji: 6 sets for the race
LMGTE Pro and Am (size: 30/68-18 front / 31/71-18 rear)
Dry conditions:
- MEDIUM
- MEDIUM ‘Cold Weather’
Wet conditions:
- WET
- Full WET
Number of tyres authorised for the 6 Hours of Fuji: 6 sets for the race Total number of tyres for Michelin’s 17 partner cars: 1,700
