Bahrain: Michelin faces an interesting new twist

By Michelin Sport (01/04/2004)
April 1 2004

This weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix is a landmark event for Formula One: it will be the first world championship event ever staged in the Middle East.

The brand-new circuit's desert setting makes it unique among contemporary host venues and the race marks a step into the unknown for teams and their technical partners. Michelin has been conducting sophisticated simulation tests in order to prepare dry-weather tyre compounds that will be suitable for the conditions.

"We came away from the previous grand prix in Malaysia in an extremely positive frame of mind," commented Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin motorsport director. "We are now moving from Sepang, a track with which we are familiar and where we have enjoyed great success in the past, to Bahrain, where we have no relevant experience at all. We don't know much about what lies ahead, although it will definitely be hot and there is a risk that sand will blow onto the track, a factor that will significantly decrease the level of grip and accelerate the rate of tyre wear. What I can say for certain, however, is that Michelin's extensive pre-race research has allowed us to prepare as thoroughly as possible."

"Bahrain might be hot, but our investigations indicate that the circuit won't place particularly extreme loads on tyres, unlike tracks such as Barcelona," adds Pascal Vasselon, Michelin Formula One programme manager. "We plan to take three dry-weather tyre options, both from the middle segment of our range. Our calculations suggest that the fuel penalty will be somewhere between 0.3s and 0.35s per lap for every extra 10kg, but it is difficult to come up with a precise figure until the cars have turned a wheel in anger. Preparing for events such as this adds an interesting new twist to the season and I am confident."