Autosportfoto

Safety first with new Michelin wet tyre

A new Michelin wet-weather tyre designed for improved safety in adverse conditions will be made available to FIA World Rally Championship competitors for the first time at next weekend's ADAC Rallye Deutschland (18 - 21 august).

Following calls from drivers, Michelin has developed the Pilot Sport FW2 (Full Wet 2) to combat aquaplaning on WRC asphalt rounds in the event of heavy rain.

The key feature of this second-generation version of Michelin's wet-weather tyre is its specific, heavily-grooved and symmetrical 18-inch tread pattern with channels that clear water to the sides. This provides enhanced grip and traction, both in a straight line and when cornering.

The French firm's WRC programme manager Jacques Morelli explained: "The clearance capacity of the Michelin Pilot Sport FW2 marks an improvement over that of the Michelin Pilot Sport H5/S5. Thanks to its narrower tread compared with the Michelin Pilot Sport H5 and S5 and its deeper grooves, the contact patch has been doubled in heavy rain."

The new tyre is intended for extreme conditions only, and teams will be restricted to an allocation of eight tyres per car per rally. It will be limited to sealed-surface events, with ADAC Rallye Deutschland followed consecutively in 2016 by Rally China-Beijing (8 - 11 September), Tour de Corse - Rallye de France (29 September - 2 October) and the part-asphalt RallyRACC Catalunya - Rally de España (13 - 16 October).

Zdroj: wrc.com