Michelin test day notes

Le Mans, Sunday 3 June 2007 Peugeot and Michelin set the fastest time of the test day
Michelin on top in all four classes

The Peugeot-Michelin of Sebastien Bourdais was quickest at the test day for the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours, with a time of 3m26.707s. His benchmark set in hot conditions in front of 20,000 spectators slashed last year's time by more than three seconds.

In the LMP2 class, the Zytec Barazi Epsilon Michelin cars numbered 32 and 33 set equal fastest time.

In GT1, the number 63 Corvette Michelin was quickest in class, while in GT2 the number 76 Porsche Imsa Performance Michelin was fastest.

It was an extremely positive test day for Michelin, which allowed the French company to assess all the different types of tyre that will be used in the forthcoming Le Mans 24 Hours.

Matthieu Bonardel Competitions Director : racing, endurance, and rally

"The day went perfectly for us, as we saw conditions that are likely to be representative of those we will face at the race in just under a fortnight's time. We were able to accomplish our two key objectives, both in terms of performance and endurance. First of all, we had to see when was the most suitable time during the 24 Hours to use the tyres in our range, depending on the temperatures. We had a very positive outcome, as we noted that all of our medium and hard compound tyres worked well in the conditions. The teams have now all got a good idea of how our medium tyres work, and these tyres will be used for 80% of the race at Le Mans. This was an essential task, and the work will be completed next Wednesday and Thursday when we will test the soft tyres that will be suited to the cooler temperatures of the evening. We are now confident that the hard tyres for high temperatures work well both on the prototypes and GT cars, and that there is no drop-off in performance. This is vital information that will help us make a race plan for each of our teams.

Our second objective was to assess the endurance and consistency of our tyres during longer runs. In order to carry this out, we collaborated with our partner teams to check the tyres over three stints. We managed to do this with Peugeot and Audi, maintaining the same levels of performance with each car around 3m30s that roughly equalled the quickest time set at the end of the morning.

Finally, we were able to test one of our two qualifying tyres the softer option with the Pescarolo team. The performance gain is about three seconds per lap, which is what we would expect from a qualifying tyre. This tyre also allows for more than just one flying lap. Jean-Christophe Bouillon was delighted with the levels of performance and lateral grip on this tyre.

Now we head back to base at Clermont Ferrand to analyse all the data we have accumulated, and we will also dissect the tyres that have been driven on in order to evaluate their performance. Then, we will be able to pass on our reccomendations to all our different teams. Generally speaking, we've been very happy with all the work done during the test day. "

Sebastien Boudais Peugeot driver Michelin

"As far as the tyres were concerned, we went over everything concentrating particularly on how the different tyres reacted over several laps. We found some solutions that are very well-suited to the car I think. We're very happy with both the performance and endurance of the Michelin tyres under all conditions. With Michelin, we have tyres that are capable of extracting the same performance whatever the temperature and this is extremely rare. Generally speaking, the hotter the circuit gets the more time you lose, but this is not at all the case with Michelin. This makes our Michelin tyres a very potent weapon in a 24-hour race ! "

Bruno Famin

"It was a very important day as we had different objectives. As far as tyres were concerned, this was our only opportunity to do some endurance testing, and we were able to progress our test programme just as we had hoped. The drivers were very happy with the performance of their Michelin tyres. Now we are going to use all this information in some simulation models, in order to be able to choose the most appropriate tyres for the race together with Michelin. "

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich Directeur Audi Sport

"We're very happy with the performance of the tyres. We tested nearly all the tyres available, but above all we were able to evaluate the performance of the tyres over three stints. Michelin have some very good tyres for us and I'm feeling optimistic about the race weekend ahead. The drivers were delighted, and I've had no negative feedback at all. I'm sure that once we've been through all the data, we will see that we have prepared for this race very well together with Michelin who are sure to help us be competitive at the Le Mans 24 Hours. "

-credit: michelin