Michelin

Performance and long tyre life: MICHELIN’s recipe for Portugal, one of the fastest rallies of the season

Since its return to the World Rally Championship calendar and its switch to the country’s Algarve region in 2007, the Rally de Portugal has stood out as one of the toughest rounds of the season for the cars, drivers and tyres alike.

The average speeds reached on the stages are among the fastest of the year (approximately 93kph his weekend) and the event calls for a precise driving style, especially since: “there is a high risk for the car and tyres each time we exit a corner. The stones that litter the gravel roads here in the Algarve can be quite big and sharp,” observes Jari-Matti LATVALA (FORD Abu Dhabi).

“The high speeds put significant demands on the chassis, suspension and engines of the cars. The latter are frequently at full throttle and maximum revs,” explains Thomas CHEVAUCHER, Sébastien OGIER’s engineer at CITROEN.

The thoughts of MICHELIN’s rallies manager Jacques MORELLI follow similar lines: “Speed is primary factor in the equation when it comes to the durability and the life expectancy of our tyres, too. On top of that, despite the fact that they are less powerful, the cars equipped with MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross tyres were faster this weekend than last year’s cars were on several stages. So there’s good reason to be pleased with their performance and durability.”

“I am globally satisfied with our tyres here in Portugal,” declared Nick SHORROCK, the director of MICHELIN Competition. “Our exchanges with CITROEN, FORD and all our other partners have been very positive. Furthermore, after several months of work, we have just finished validating the second-generation version of the MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross.

Production will begin soon and they will be available in time for the next round for all our partner teams with a view to meeting their needs even more closely.”

Olivier QUESNEL (Director, CITROEN RACING): “We are pleased with our MICHELIN tyres. Here in Portugal, they confirmed the potential they showed earlier in the month Mexico. Their performance played a real part in CITROEN’s victory. We are now looking forward to competing with the second-generation MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross.”

MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross – Characteristics and Statistics:
The MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross (17/65R15) comes with a single tread pattern. It is available in a choice of two compounds: “H” (Hard) and “S” (Soft). In Mexico, the cars used the “H” option. MICHELIN had 1,700 MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross tyres available for its partners in Portugal.

Tags: MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross