FIA ditch Michelin

[Hazard]

Duped. Yes, the FIA have ditched Michelin for Yokohama as official suppliers for the WTCC next year.

I was wondering why there were so many 'Advan' ads in the coverage anyway.

Anyone think it's a revenge thing?

[Craner Curves]

I wish they'd taken Dunlops. That would make BTCC and ETCC crossovers so much easier.

[Wilbo]

Ditto

[Monkey Head]

I don't think so.
as you say there many ADVAN ads on the track this year

[kmchow]

I'm assuming Yokohama made the WTCC a better sponsorship offer. Or is the F1/Michelin/US Grand Prix fiasco getting out of hand? Will the sponsorship appear under Yokohama or Advan? I assume Advan is a division of Yokohama? Yokohama isn't really known as a touring car provider/sponsor???

[Monkey Head]

Originally Posted by kmchow

I'm assuming Yokohama made the WTCC a better sponsorship offer. Or is the F1/Michelin/US Grand Prix fiasco getting out of hand? Will the sponsorship appear under Yokohama or Advan? I assume Advan is a division of Yokohama? Yokohama isn't really known as a touring car provider/sponsor???

i think they will using 'ADVAN' brand to sponser the WTCC events,as they posted 'ADVAN' ad broad on track.

ADVAN is a series of the yokohama tire.just like 'potenza' on bridgestone.
they have provided tire of SUPER GT and Super Taikyu cars in Japan,for sure they have sponser some of Guia Race driver in Macau every year(but not for 2005

[Wilbo]

kmchow posted "Yokohama isn't really known as a touring car provider/sponsor???"

Of course they are, they have a pedigree of supplying touring cars & sports cars throughout the world.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by kmchow

I'm assuming Yokohama made the WTCC a better sponsorship offer. Or is the F1/Michelin/US Grand Prix fiasco getting out of hand?

Yokohama are a supplier not a sponsor. The contract was put out to tender, both Yoko and Michelin met the technical requirements but Yoko was cheaper. Nothing more to it than that.

[BootsOntheSide]

Seems like a coincidence that it happened so soon after the USGP, and I'm sure the 8 F1 teams opposing the FIA will be thinking of it in those terms.

[kmchow]

Perhaps they sponsor or supply more tires in Asia than in Europe than in NA? It seems they promote the Advan line more than their own company brand. Marketing wise, they seem to be opposite of Michelin. You see more "Michelin" sponsorship than for their "Pilot" line of tires.

[+ its a Chevy]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Yokohama are a supplier not a sponsor. The contract was put out to tender, both Yoko and Michelin met the technical requirements but Yoko was cheaper. Nothing more to it than that.

as boots says, it seems a remarkable coincidence that so shortly after the US gp mess the FIA of all people announce the new deal - probably whilst poking their tongues out at Michelin...

[N I Tram]

Michelin tyres are traditionally the best in Touring Car racing, and the safest as well, so there can be only 2 possible reasons for the switch - a) spite after the USGP, and b) trying to boost Asian interest. Hopefully this will ebv the last sinister decision Max will be allowed to make.

[redshoes]

Wow, so many theories. Compared to the millions spent in F1, Michelin's WTCC contract will be small beer. Do you really think the FIA would actually bother to make such a minor gesture? As for most F1 teams thinking it was a snub to Michelin, I doubt many would have actually noticed, or indeed cared. The tendering process would have taken several months, and would have started long before the US GP.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Wow, so many theories. Compared to the millions spent in F1, Michelin's WTCC contract will be small beer. Do you really think the FIA would actually bother to make such a minor gesture? As for most F1 teams thinking it was a snub to Michelin, I doubt many would have actually noticed, or indeed cared. The tendering process would have taken several months, and would have started long before the US GP.

Totally agree.

[pitcrew]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

I wish they'd taken Dunlops. That would make BTCC and ETCC crossovers so much easier.

it would be a logical step to actually help the competitor and teams but hey thats to dam easy!

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

I wish they'd taken Dunlops. That would make BTCC and ETCC crossovers so much easier.

DTC (Danmark) and STCC (and German DPM?) are also using Dunlops.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by kmchow

Yokohama isn't really known as a touring car provider/sponsor???

I thought you would have remembered them from their days as the best tyre in the early part of the FIA Class 2/Super Touring days until Michelin took over.

[kmchow]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Wow, so many theories. Compared to the millions spent in F1, Michelin's WTCC contract will be small beer. Do you really think the FIA would actually bother to make such a minor gesture? As for most F1 teams thinking it was a snub to Michelin, I doubt many would have actually noticed, or indeed cared. The tendering process would have taken several months, and would have started long before the US GP.

Or perhaps Michelin knew they were getting dumped by the FIA for the WTCC and wanted to get back at them by having a tire malfunction for the upcoming F1 race??

Or perhaps aliens kidnapped the FIA, brainwashed them and made them go with Yokahoma instead?

[Mike_Wooshy]

I've heard worse stories to how this conculsion came about .....

[429CJ]

Originally Posted by FIRE

DTC (Danmark) and STCC (and German DPM?) are also using Dunlops.

Dunlop is also used on Finnish Super 2000 series.