Find Dealers

We Race For Change

Motorsport, an accelerator of innovation

WHY WE GO RACING?

Over the decades, we are proud to have globally demonstrated the performance of our racing tyres. Today, the nature of motorsport has changed, however.   

The colossal challenge we face is to develop All Sustainable mass-market tyres whose design and production have a limited impact on the Earth's resources, biodiversity and CO₂ emissions, without detracting from the performance that has made the MICHELIN brand a success.  

More than ever, therefore, motor racing serves as an invaluable proving ground and accelerator of technological innovation. The extreme conditions that are inherent in motorsport provide us with an opportunity to innovate, experiment in record time, learn, conceive new solutions and accelerate the development of sustainable solutions that are of benefit to everyone.

LE MANS: OUR FAVORITE ARENA FOR INNOVATION FOR 100 YEARS


The Le Mans 24 Hours - which takes place on roads normally open to everyday traffic - submits our tyres to exceptional constraints, from the track's uneven surface, to sudden weather and temperature changes. Yet our tyres must deliver flawless, perfectly-balanced performance, as well as safety, grip and versatility from the race's start until the finish line!


Innovations that have changed mobility:

Demountable tyre

1923: The winner of the inaugural Le Mans 24 Hours was a Chenard & Walcker fitted with MICHELIN tyres. It completed the race at an average speed of 57mph. Removable tyres revolutionised mobility by combining resilience, long life, comfort and user-friendliness.

Radial tyre

1951: Patented in 1946 and marketed from 1949, MICHELIN X tyres featured a revolutionary radial carcass incorporating metal belts for long-lasting safety, comfort and fuel economy. A Lancia B20 GT won its class on radial tyres at the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours.


Slick tyre

1967: Michelin was the first to race slick tyres at Le Mans . Their entirely smooth, pattern-free tread provided superior grip in dry conditions. Slicks made an immediate impact, with the Alpine A210 completing a lap in under four minutes for the first time in its class before going on to win the P1.6 classification.


High performance tyre

1978: The Renault-Alpine A442B's victory at Le Mans  in 1978 equipped with high-performance MICHELIN radial tyres underlined the technology's extraordinary value. The result was followed by success in Formula 1, providing additional evidence of the superiority of radial tyres and contributing to the technology becoming the industry norm worldwide.

1923 - 2023: Repeated innovations in favour of long-lasting performance


cls4xitj45a4111iefjke3uuk clephq8ah21ca01n7398w4q3j sustainable msp max full cls4xisir5a3u11ie5nfhhjld clgwbg8ix01m401gxgku58zh3 08062022 02522003 lf38679 max full cls4xirn65a3p11ie81d0673d clgwl4rsi00qe01gxl377szcr co009000 max full cls4xiqof5a3k11ie42xvemcz clgwbd52p01gv01gx2iwywdhp co007208 max full
clgwgwozf05bx01imuqyih3sj 00291323 max clgwpyr76022101gxa282m2b6 00278392 max clgwljelq00va01gxtvk1hcq8 00271308 max clgwbbnbr01d501gxkzjo7k2y pm 080614 0615 max
clgwgrjvm056m01imrv8gyvbp 00058324 hd max clgwbanu401cp01gxwauo6o62 00052765 hd max clh7o7bha04tz01j75qdogpk7 microsoftteams image 3 max clgwfd74n04qr01gx8j3y36mj 00023639 max
clgwno59o01q501gx0frabqx5 00052662 hd max clgwb9oxm01an01gxcbo98gm7 00052666 hd max clgwb8uhg01tr01im1szeeh8i 00055853 hd max clgwflkg104e601g7xviyxk30 00056143 hd max

Technological developments like the progress made in power-plant technology, from petrol and diesel engines to hybrid power units, the introduction of disc brakes and increasingly sophisticated aerodynamics all posed fresh challenges for tyres. They needed to adapt to bigger constraints, including higher power outputs, loads and torque, while at the same time providing superior efficiency efficiency.  Michelin’s winning record at Le Mans has matched the incredible revolution the race has seen in terms of performance. In the last 10 years alone, it has helped the headlining LMP1 prototypes to complete up to 750 kilometre on a single set of tyres at an average speed of 239.79 kph. That’s equivalent to the more than the distance covered by two Formula 1 grands prix!

Le Mans 2023: we continue to innovate for a sustainable future

The centenary Le Mans 24 Hours will be no exception with regard to Michelin innovations:

  • The latest MICHELIN Pilot Sport Endurance Slicks and Wets conceived for today's exciting Hypercar prototypes were designed entirely virtually using simulator technology. The process has now been extended to the development of mass-market tyres, resulting in significant resource and CO₂ emissions savings.
     

  • This year, we will be unveiling a racing tyre that contains 63% sustainable materials (bio-based renewable or recycled materials) for GreenGT's hydrogen prototype and the all-electric Porsche GT4 ePerformance.  This achievement was made possible thanks to our knowledge of sustainable materials in the context of tyres, with no detriment to either their performance or overall environmental impact.

OUR TYRES ARE DESIGNED TO WIN

We are the tyre manufacturer with the most victories in the Major FIA and FIM World championships over the last 50 years.

MICHELIN, OFFICIAL MOTOGP™ CLASS TYRE

THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS


Celebrating 100 years of motor racing passion

OUR PARTNERS TRUST US


cls4xvaf45and11ie7fxd8pv3 partner2 full

TRUST OUR TYRES ON TRACK OR ON ROAD

MICHELIN Motorsport range

Tyres for circuit, rally, hillclimbing, classic racing, off-road & circuit moto 

MICHELIN car tyre range

Tyres for cars, SUVs & vans 

MICHELIN motorbike tyre range

Tyres for motorbike & scooters 

Find the perfect tyre
Auto
Searching for tyre
Searching for tyre

LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY MICHELIN:

Trust MICHELIN for a better life in motion

Our tyres are trusted by the most demanding - consumers, manufacturers, motorsports players and key opinion leaders ask for our products.

Taking action to reduce environmental impact

We lead the way towards mobility with reduced environmental impact(3) and innovate by investing in, around and beyond tyres.

Leading the way in electric mobility

We are at the forefront of electric mobility. Our engineers work closely with car, scooter & bike manufacturers to design tyres with performance that matter to electric vehicles owners

Follow the latest news on MICHELIN Motorsport

Stay tuned! Read our latest MICHELIN Motorsport news 

LEGAL MENTIONS

(1)  Last kilometre being understood as until the minimum legal tread depth (1.5 mm in Australia and New Zealand). More information can be found at https://www.michelin.com.au/performance-made-to-last 

 

(2) Michelin considers sustainable materials to be either recycled materials or bio-sourced materials renewable on the timescale of a human life, and which do not compete with the food sector. Michelin does not consider natural materials which are non-renewable on the timescale of a human life to be sustainable - such as oil. As such, some materials, although of natural mineral origin, such as silica, are not taken into account in the Michelin definition of a “sustainable material”. Recycled materials are the raw materials generated by any recycling operation by which industrial or post-consumption waste is reprocessed into products, materials, or substances. Energy reuse and the reprocessing of materials for use as energy are excluded. (Based on the definition of the European Directive for Waste). 

 

(3) For more information https://www.michelin.com/en/sustainable-development-mobility/working-towards-sustainable-mobility/

 

Copywrights: MICHELIN, F. LE FLOCH / DPPI, F. FLAMAND / DPPI, F. GOODEN, T. GROMIK, C. MARIN, C. SAULNIER / DPPI, DPPI /MICHELIN, L’Equipe/Presse Sports, SIPA / MICHELIN