Michelin decides against bidding for F1 tyre return

French tyre manufacturer Michelin has ruled out a bid to return to the Formula 1 grid in 2020.

The company previously provided tyres to the championship between 1977 and 1984, and again from 2001 until 2006. Bridgestone subsequently became the sole tyre supplier from 2007 until 2010, and Pirelli took over in 2011.

Michelin had been considering whether to put in a response to the FIA's latest tender for the renewal of F1's exclusive tyre supply contract, which will cover the period 2020 through to 2023.

But in a statement released on Friday, the company ruled out taking part in the process.

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It said that it did not wish to spend time and money developing interim 13-inch tyres for a single season, together with the high degradation characteristics the FIA tender document asks for.

“It is well known that Michelin is already engaged in a wide range of world-class motor sports such as MotoGP, WEC, WRC, Formula E and more,” the statement explained.

“This unique and very broad portfolio corresponds to the vision of the Michelin Group: indeed Michelin is competing to innovate for the benefit of its customers and sustainable mobility.

“As far as Formula 1 is concerned, we have received the technical specifications on which the FIA call for tenders has been issued and we have studied it carefully.

"Michelin’s recommendations for a switch to 18-inch tyres, as in Formula E, have been taken up by the authorities, which we are delighted about.

“However, the demand for the supply of 13-inch tyres for the 2020 season alone, as well as the deterioration of performance as a part of the show, goes against our principles of efficient resource management and respect for the technology of a sustainable tyre.

“Michelin has therefore decided to refrain from any response to this invitation to tender.

"[We] will continue to follow, in conjunction with its governing bodies, the developments of Formula 1 in the coming years.”

Friday is the deadline for responses to the tender. It's expected that Pirelli will put in a bid to renew their position, but it's not sure if they will face any competition from rival suppliers.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.