MEDIA INFORMATION London, June 26, 2015 2014/2015 FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP London ePrix
The MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV ready for London finale
After nine entertaining races across the planet in differing climates and on a broad variety of surface types, the last two rounds of the 2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship will take place in London, England, on June 27-28.
A magnet for tourists from around the world, London will provide the 20 drivers competing in the all-electric series to showcase their skills to a big crowd. The British are famous for their passion for cars and motor racing, and this weekend’s Formula E double-header is poised to bring them plenty of exciting action thanks not only to the quality of the field but also to the innovative technology featured on the cars.
With only two races of the inaugural championship remaining, the fight for the Drivers’ crown features six men: Nelson PIQUET (NEXTEV TCR), who currently tops the order, Lucas DI GRASSI (Audi Sport Abt), Sébastien BUEMI (e.dams-Renault), Nicolas PROST (e.dams-Renault), Jérôme D’AMBROSIO (Dragon Racing) and Sam BIRD (Virgin Racing). Meanwhile, still in the running for the Teams’ title are e-dams-Renault, Audi Sport Abt and NEXTEV TCR who are provisionally first, second and third.
After featuring concrete slabs in the streets of Miami, the former Tempelhof Airport’s taxiways in Berlin, smooth but highly abrasive asphalt in Monaco and high humidity levels in Malaysia, the final clashes of the championship look like they will take place in mild sunny weather in London.
The circuit itself uses the perimeter road of Battersea Park, an 83-hectare site on the opposite side of the River Thames to Chelsea.
The 17-turn, 2.922km track is one of the longest of the season and features a number of long straights and technically challenging chicanes, providing plenty of hard cornering and heavy braking. It was designed by the British architect Simon Gibbons who has previously worked in Formula 1 and for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As a completely new venue, it is yet another fresh challenge for the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV tyre… “Staff from Michelin Motorsport came over to inspect the surface,” says Serge Grisin, the manager of Michelin’s Formula E programme. “It looks reasonably straightforward but the track is quite cambered, so that will force the teams to adjust the ride-height of their cars carefully. The road itself is quite specific because it is generally used at slow speed by vehicles looking for a parking space. The asphalt isn’t very abrasive and, as has been the case throughout the championship so far, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV should deliver the level of performance that is expected of them.”
The MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV tyre, which was designed especially for the Formula E Championship, has a number of special features:
- Size: the interior diameter of 18 inches is comparable with that used by many road cars and this promises to facilitate and speed up the carry-over of technology from the race track to the street. Formula E is the first FIA- sanctioned single-seater racing series to use tyres of this size.
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- Tread: like a road-going sports tyre, and even though it was designed for racing, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV features a tread pattern that allows it to race in Formula E in all weather conditions.
- Longevity: the cars are only authorised to use a single set of tyres for free practice, qualifying and the race itself. Permitted spares are carried over from the previous race to minimise the number of tyres that need to be made and shipped around the planet.