MEDIA INFORMATION Miami, March 14, 2015 2014/2015 FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP Round 5: Miami ePrix ePrix action to resume for Michelin in Miami The 2015 FIA Formula E Championship resumes this Saturday (March 14) after a two- month break since the Buenos Aires ePrix on January 10. Switching from South to North America, teams face a race this weekend in Florida capital Miami before moving on to another purpose-built circuit by the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach, California, at the beginning of April. This weekend’s Miami ePrix will take place round a 2.17km circuit that overlooks Biscayne Bay in the southern part of the city. The track itself comprises several long straights and eight right-angled turns which promise to be particularly hard on tyres because of the repeated hard braking and acceleration they call for. “We’re expecting very hot, sunny conditions and therefore a dry track for the Miami ePrix,” predicts Serge Grisin, manager of Michelin’s Formula E programme. “That will be ideal for the spectators but it won’t be easy on the tyres. That said, we have seen the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV stand up very well to the high temperatures we came across in Putrajaya [Malaysia], Punta del Este [Uruguay] and Buenos Aires [Argentine] where the track temperature reached 50°C and where the weather was quite humid on occasions. We are confident that our tyres will deliver a high level of performance and longevity again in Miami, even though the track’s profile, the lines drawn on the road and the railways make it a more complex scenario.” Miami always stood out as a must-visit venue for the FIA Formula E Championship. Despite its small size (it is the USA’s smallest state capital) and its relatively low population (400,000), it is an internationally renowned city and its avant-garde spirit is a perfect fit with Formula E. “Miami’s socio-cultural melting pot makes it a global city, which is an advantage for such an innovative championship that everyone, and notably younger enthusiasts, can follow on the web and via social media,” notes Serge Grisin. ‘Miami’s population is very environmentally aware, so it’s a first class opportunity to show the value of electric vehicles in city centres.” For the Miami ePrix, the electric Formula E racing cars will be fitted with MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV tyres specially developed for the series. It is the first 18-inch tyre to be designed for a single-seater championship sanctioned by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), but its interior diameter is not its only distinguishing feature… Advanced technology Michelin’s chief innovation is to have succeeded in designing a single-seater racing tyre that is capable of delivering top performance in both dry and wet conditions. It was developed especially for the FIA Formula E Championship and its longevity allows it to cover free practice, qualifying and the race itself. MICHELIN is fully behind the championship’s prevailing philosophy which is to produce, transport and use as few consumables as possible. Accordingly, it has brought just 200 tyres for the 40 racing cars that will compete in Miami. [email protected] MEDIA INFORMATION Miami, March 14, 2015 Focus on energy efficiency MICHELIN’s involvement in the FIA Formula E Championship enables it to carry over the lessons learned on the race track to its upcoming tyres. Reducing rolling resistance, which is responsible for 25 percent of the energy consumed by fossil fuel-powered vehicles, and for 30 percent of the energy used by electric vehicles, is a key objective for car manufacturers looking to minimise the energy consumption of their vehicles and curb polluting emissions. The interior diameter of the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV is 18 inches (245/40R18 front - 305/40R18 rear) which is a size it shares with many road cars. The FIA Formula E Championship provides the brand with a full-scale testing ground for the new technologies the new tyre packs and which will go on to be used for production tyres. The French company’s objective is to bring further reductions to the rolling resistance of its products in order to increase the range of all vehicles. Serge GRISIN: “The Michelin Group’s development specialists work closely with their colleagues at Michelin Motorsport in all the different forms of racing and rallying in which we are involved. This in turn allows Michelin to use its race-proven innovations for the development of road tyres. Motorsport consequently serves as an important technological laboratory.” The FIA’s World Rally Championship (WRC), World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Formula E Championship provide Michelin with an opportunity to draw lessons from its participation in world class motorsport. Ultimately, it is Michelin’s everyday customers who benefit from the gains achieved in the areas of safety, long tyre life and performance thanks to the very latest technological breakthroughs. The MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV which stars in Formula E is a tremendous ambassador because it resembles a high-end road- going tyre in every way, despite the numerous innovations it packs. [email protected] .