Michelin not returning to F1 for now: 'Cannot agree with the sport'

Michelin will not return as a tyre supplier for Formula 1 for the foreseeable future. Speaking to The Drive, Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux reveals that Michelin's and Formula 1's objectives are totally mismatched.

Currently, Pirelli is Formula 1's sole tyre supplier, but that contract ends in 2024. The FIA has opened the application for a new tyre supplier from 2025. Speaking to GPblog, Pirelli previously confirmed their intention to continue as the sport's exclusive supplier for even longer. Whether other suppliers will apply is not known for now, but Pirelli are unlikely to have to expect competition from Michelin.

The French brand - which also supplied Formula 1 from 2001 to 2006 - does not agree with the objective of Formula 1's management. "We have been discussing with them for a very long time, and we are not in agreement," explained Menegaux. "They say to have the show, you have to have tyres that destroy themselves. And I think, we don’t know how to do this. Teams should be understanding tyre performance and capitalising on the fact that the tyre is going to be performing from the first lap around the circuit to the last. The drivers will tell you they want to be at their maximum all the time. But they say no no, it’s not possible, and so we cannot agree."

'We don't need to do this'

With his comments, Menegaux refers to the fact that in Formula 1, tyres are explicitly designed not to last an entire race. This, in effect, forces pit stops, makes strategy a bigger element of the race, and therefore ultimately creates more excitement.

"We are in racing, not for show, but for developing the technology," Menegaux continued. "We are in racing because it’s the best way to very quickly live test new technology. And of course there are side benefits—a side benefit is the show. A side benefit is brand awareness. But in terms of brand awareness, Michelin are one of the best-known brands in the world. We don’t need to do this."