MEDIA INFORMATION Coffs Harbour, September 9, 2015
2015 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) Coates Hire Rally Australia
The MICHELIN LTX Force H4/S4 and LATITUDE Cross H90/S80 (WRC2) tyres in thick eucalyptus forests
The 2015 Coates Hire Rally Australia (September 10-13) takes teams to the challenging, tree-lined stages near Coffs Harbour, a coastal town in New South Wales situated between Sydney and Brisbane.
The first Rally Australia to count towards the WRC was held in 1989 and based in Perth, Western Australia. It ran until 2006. In 2009, the event was revived, but in a different location on the country’s east coast in New South Wales. Two years later, it moved to its current home, Coffs Harbour.
Round 10 of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship is sandwiched between two gravel fixtures, namely last month’s Trier-based ADAC Rallye Deutschland (August 20-23), where Michelin launched its new Michelin Pilot Sport H5 (hard compound) and S5 (soft) asphalt tyres, and the Rallye de France (October 1-4) which will take place in Corsica.
For Rally Australia, Michelin’s WRC partners will be able to count on the MICHELIN LTX Force H4 (hard compound) and S4 (soft) tyres which they last fitted at early August’s Neste Oil Rally Finland. WRC2 drivers will be able to choose between the MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross H90 (hard) and S80 (soft) tyres that were first available for early-July’s Lotos Rally Poland.
Although the FIA World Rally Championship permits open competition between tyre manufacturers, Michelin supplies all the ‘factory’ teams. It has also enjoyed an unbeaten run in WRC2 ever since bespoke tyres were introduced for this championship, even though its partners in the class form a minority. In Australia, the preferred choice in WRC and WRC2 will be the hard compound, but the softer option will be available to ensure the safety of competitors should the prevailing conditions change (cold weather, rain).
Versatility: the key to performance
Although the majority of this week’s 17 stages (311.36km) are on gravel, some portions will use asphalt roads that are open to the public the rest of the year, as well as some private roads. Rally Australia is one of the shortest rounds of the season but also one of the hardest and roughest.
Says Jacques MORELLI, manager of Michelin Motorsport’s FIA WRC programme: “The Coates Hire Rally Australia is fairly tricky in places. Some of the stages are narrow and twisty. They are also lined with trees, sometimes close to the inside of certain corners. Some of the action takes place in thick forests and, when the sun is at a certain angle, sunlight flashing through the trunks and branches can produce an unsettling stroboscopic effect. Thanks to the MICHELIN LTX Force H4 and LTX Force S4, our partners will benefit from consistent high performance, even over the longer stages like ‘Nambucca’ [50.80km] which will be run twice on Saturday.”
[email protected] MEDIA INFORMATION Coffs Harbour, September 9, 2015
Will Sébastien OGIER, Julien INGRASSIA and VOLKSWAGEN wrap up their respective titles on Sunday?
The French crew and their Michelin-equipped Volkswagen Polo R WRC could well claim their third straight Drivers’, Co-drivers’ and Manufacturers’ crowns this week.
Whichever way it goes in Australia, Sébastien Ogier will be a guest on Michelin’s stand at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) at 3pm on Tuesday, September 15 (Stand A23, Hall 8).
The MICHELIN LTX Force (S4 and H4) and MICHELIN Latitude Cross (H90 and S80) in Australia
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
‘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)
Total number of WRC tyres in Australia: 580
Tyre quota per World Rally Car driver: 24 tyres (20 + 4 spares). Allocation: 24 ‘hards’ and 16 ‘softs’.
[email protected] MEDIA INFORMATION Coffs Harbour, September 9, 2015
The MICHELIN Latitude Cross H90 and S80 (WRC2)
Total number of WRC2 tyres in Australia: 140
Tyre quota per WRC2 driver: 22 tyres (20 + 2 spares). Allocation: 22 ‘hards’ and 16 ‘softs’.
Tyres used for shakedown are not included.
Total number of Michelin tyres available in Australia (WRC + WRC2): 720
Michelin’s staff for the 2015 Coates Hire Rally Australia
Michelin’s partners will be able to count on a staff of 18:
- 1 manager
- 3 Michelin technical team advisers
- 2 coordinators
- 5 fitters
- 1 press officer
Additional information
Friday’s menu will feature three new, fast, technically-challenging tests in the Nambucca region. The organisers say that its ‘Utungun’, ‘Bakers Creek’ and ‘Northbank’ stages are amongst the world championship’s finest. Rally Australia has previously won Best Rally of the Year award three times.
Saturday’s competitive action will conclude with a night-time stage (Valla, 7.94km) which replaces the super-special that was formerly organised in Coffs Harbour. Sunday’s programme will end with a new stage in Settles Road.
New Zealand actor Russell Crowe, who won an Oscar for Best Actor in Gladiator, owns a livestock farm near Coffs Harbour. The chapel where he married Australian singer Danielle Spencer is to be found here.
Coffs Harbour is the capital of Australia’s banana trade and its chief tourist attraction is the Big Banana, a three-storey aquatic toboggan ride, the world’s biggest.