INFORMATION PRESSE
2015 FIA World Rally Championship VODAFONE RALLY DE PORTUGAL
The MICHELIN LTX Force H4 and S4 tyres in unknown territory
The 2015 Vodafone Rally de Portugal will be remembered for the year the Portuguese FIA World Rally Championship qualifier returned to the north of the country – in the Porto region – after 10 years based in the Algarve, in the south.
It was here in 1973 that the first Rally de Portugal to count towards the nascent championship forged its reputation as an exacting event which drew hundreds of thousands of spectators to the stage sides.
This year’s Rally de Portugal begins with a start ceremony in Guimarães on Thursday, May 21, followed by a super-special round the Lousada rallycross track. Friday’s programme will take competitors further north, close to the Spanish border, while Saturday’s epicentre will be Amarante. The action will conclude on Sunday with three more stages, including the Power Stage which incorporates the classic ‘Fafe’ test.
This will all be unchartered territory for the majority of today’s crew members who are unfamiliar with this part of Portugal, with the exception of the ‘Fafe’ sprint.
The switch in location marks a big challenge for Michelin, too, since the MICHELIN LTX Force tyres have never been used here before. However, thanks to their acclaimed versatility, the French tyre maker is confident that its partners will be satisfied with its rubber.
“The H4 and S4 versions of the MICHELIN LTX Force were developed to cover a broad spectrum of surface types and conditions,” underlines Jacques Morelli, manager of Michelin’s WRC programme. “Unlike the stages we were accustomed to in the Algarve region of Portugal, which were amongst the hardest of the championship, this year’s event near Porto is very different. The ground is very soft and sandy, although we might see stones appear once the cars get onto the stages. That’s why we decided to nominate the hard-compound H4 version of the MICHELIN LTX Force as the main choice for this rally, but the drivers can still use up to 16 of the softer S4 version.”
The 2015 Vodafone Rally de Portugal also stands out through its high number of competitors, with a total entry of almost 100 cars. The 18 youngsters registered for the FIA Junior WRC will be back in action for the first time since January’s Rallye Monte-Carlo, while the FIA WRC2 battle features 27 crews and promises an entertaining show for spectators.
The MICHELIN LTX Force (H4 and S4 versions)
Size: 205/65R15 (equivalent to 17/65-15) Width: 205mm Sidewall height: 133mm Interior diameter: 15 inches Type of pattern: directional and asymmetric (a left-hand and a right-hand tyre) Weight: 16.4kg Surface types: dirt and non-sealed roads
INFORMATION PRESSE
‘H4’ version (hard compound): aggressive, hard-wearing dirt/dry conditions/temperature >15°C ‘S4’ version (soft compound): wet or damp dirt/temperature <15°C
‘H4’ events: Mexico, Portugal, Italy, Australia and Spain ‘S4’ events: Argentina, Poland, Finland and Wales GB
The MICHELIN LTX Force H4 and S4 tyres for the Rally de Portugal
Total number of tyres available for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal: 1650 (WRC + WRC2: 980 / JWRC: 670) Number of tyres each World Rally Car driver can use: 24 (four per tyre-change opportunity [five] + four additional tyres) Total stage length: 351.71 kilometres (16 stages) Total route length (including road sections): 1,526.16 kilometres Tyre quota per World Rally Car driver: - 24 x MICHELIN LTX Force H4s - 16 x MICHELIN LTX Force S4s
Michelin’s staff in Portugal
Michelin’s partners will be able to count on a staff of 14 in Porto: - 1 manager - 4 Michelin technical team advisors - 2 coordinators - 7 fitters