INFORMATION PRESSE Jyväskylä, le 30 juillet 2015
2015 FIA World Rally Championship NESTE OIL RALLY FINLAND
The MICHELIN LTX Force H4/S4 and the LATITUDE Cross H90/S80 (WRC2) ready for the fastest clash of the season
In 1951, Rally Finland’s original ancestor served as a qualifying event for the Rallye Monte- Carlo. Eight years later, it was named as a round of the European Rally Championship before being incorporated in the inaugural world championship in 1973 under the name 1,000 Lakes Rally which it had adopted in 1954. It is still one of the great WRC classics.
Compared with 2014, its format has changed very little this time round. There will be just two stages on Sunday instead of three, while Thursday evening’s super-special will take place in the city of Jyväskylä itself, not far from the service park. The 2015 mix will deliver Rally Finland’s usual cocktail of fast, wide tracks and narrower, more technical portions. The total route length of 1,270.83km includes 319.38km divided into 20 stages.
The different types of tricky terrain it visits will provide the Michelin LTX Force H4 (hard compound) and S4 (soft) WRC tyres, as well as the new LATITUDE Cross H90 and S80 WRC2 tyres with a further opportunity to showcase their potential and versatility.
Says Jacques Morelli, manager of Michelin FIA World Rally Championship programme: “The Neste Oil Rally Finland features the highest average speeds of the championship. This year, the opening day could be decisive since it involves competitive loops of 80km in length and some of the most difficult stages of the season. The ground is likely to be firmer than that encountered during Rally Poland at the start of the month. The forest tracks are sprayed with saltwater prior to the event, making the surface harder and therefore more abrasive, especially in hot, dry weather. Our recommendation is to use our ‘soft’ compound, but the ‘harder’ alternative will be possible on stages like ‘Päijälä’ and ‘Ouninpohja’. The latter includes one of the most spectacular jumps of the year and is particularly tough on tyres.”
New WRC2 tyres: the MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross H90 and S80 The new MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross H90 (hard compound) and S80 (soft) for the WRC2 class made their debut in Poland at the beginning of July and won out of the box thanks Finns Esapekka LAPPI/Janne FERME. Fellow SKODA FABIA R5 crew Pontus TIDEMAND/Emil AXELSSON made sure of Michelin’s first WRC2 one-two finish on dirt this year, even though the cars running on the French firm’s rubber on that event were outnumbered twenty to seven.
Significantly revised tyres With the exception of their tread pattern, the MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross H90 and S80 are entirely new, including a more flexible crown and side walls. As a result, the WRC2 runners are able to use a softer compound than their WRC colleagues, while the contact patch is larger in order to help combat the phenomenon of wear.
The MICHELIN LTX Force (S4 and H4) and MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross (H90 and S80)
Size: 205/65R15 (equivalent to 17/65-15) Width: 205mm Sidewall height: 133 mm Interior diameter: 15 inches Type of pattern: directional and asymmetric (a left-hand and a right-hand tyre) Weight: 16.4kg (LTX Force) Surface types: dirt and non-sealed roads
[email protected] INFORMATION PRESSE Jyväskylä, le 30 juillet 2015
‘H4’ and ‘H90’ versions (hard compound): aggressive, hard-wearing dirt / dry conditions / temperature >15°C ‘S4’ and ‘S80’ versions (soft compound): wet or damp dirt / temperature <15°C
Rallies where the H4 and H90 are the ‘nominated tyres: Mexico, Portugal, Italy, Australia and Spain Rallies where the S4 and S80 are the nominated tyres: Argentina, Poland, Finland and Wales GB
The MICHELIN LTX Force S4 and H4 (WRC)… in Finland
Total number of WRC tyres: 1,140 (including 460 for the Junior-WRC)
Tyre quota per World Rally Car driver: 24 tyres (20 + 4 spares). Allocation: 24 ‘softs’ and 16 ‘hards’.
The MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross H90 and S80 (WRC2)… in Finland
Total number of WRC2 tyres: 500
Tyre quota per World Rally Car driver: 22 tyres (20 + 2 spares). Allocation: 22 ‘softs’ and 16 ‘hards’.
Tyres used for shakedown are not included.
Total number of Michelin tyres available in Finland (WRC + WRC2): 1,640
Michelin’s staff for the 2015 Neste Oil Rally Finland
Michelin’s partners will be able to count on a staff of 18: - 1 manager - 4 Michelin technical team advisers - 2 coordinators - 9 fitters - 2 press officers