BMW Motorsport and Michelin have announced a partnership ahead of the American Le Mans Series to see the French tyre manufacturer supply the works-supported BMW Z4 GT3s.
The relationship started at a joint testing January with the first official outing to be made on 16 March at the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring.
“We are delighted to be working together with Michelin, and are confident our teams running the BMW Z4 GTE and BMW Z4 GT3 will benefit from this iconic company’s motorsport experience and from the renowned quality of its tyres,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “The durability and performance of the tyres play a crucial role in motorsport. With Michelin at our side as tyre partner, we are excellently positioned in both these areas.”
The partnership will also see the two working together for the Nürburgring 24 Hours providing three different compounds for slicks (hard, intermediate and soft) along with a wet compound from Michelin’s “Ultimate” tyre range.
“In January we began a series of tests that will involve working with BMW Motorsport to identify the operating windows and pressures of our different slicks and also work on the set-up of the new car,” said Serge Grisin, manager of Michelin’s racing activities. “We are delighted with the confidence BMW Motorsport has placed in us. Making sure we live up to these expectations is an extra source of motivation for me and my team.”
Grisin also added “The BMW Z4s will run on our taller front tire (30/68-18, instead of 30/65-18) to enable our new partner to take full advantage of the benefit of its Michelin tyres in terms of longevity.”
