Michelin: Motorsport 'bolstering sustainable tire development'

Clermont-Ferrand, France – Motorsport events, such as Le Mans, present unique challenges that are “capable of accelerating the emergence of sustainable innovations,” according to Michelin.

Marking its 100-year association with the Le Mans 24 Hours, Michelin said racing requires production-flexibility as well as data-management “across an incomparably wide spectrum of situations.”

This makes motorsport “an increasingly pertinent means to address the mobility and environmental issues we face today,” said a release from the French tire maker.

For the centenary edition of Le Mans, 10-11 June, Michelin is promoting its ‘WeRaceForChange’ campaign to explain the extent to which motorsport contributes to innovation.

“The main reason [Michelin] goes racing is to shape future mobility, not merely to collect titles and trophies,” according to the group’s 2 June statement.

At Le Mans, Michelin will display its new tire incorporating 63% sustainable materials, which was developed for Green GT's H24 hydrogen-powered racing prototype.

The development is part of Michelin's efforts to increase its use of sustainable materials – towards using only bio-sourced, recycled or renewable raw materials for its entire ‘catalogue’ by 2050.

Meanwhile, the tire maker has produced a new range of tires for endurance racing's Hypercar class conceived exclusively on the simulator.

To digitally replicate tire-behaviour, Michelin leverages an extensive database and capabilities to process smart data using sophisticated mathematical algorithms.

This has led to the development of Tame Tire, a patented thermo-mechanical modelling tool, which dynamically reproduces the effects temperature fluctuations on raw materials and tire pressures during races.

“Tame Tire is making a significant contribution to the development of not only racing tires, but also tyres for today's high-performance road cars,” stated Michelin.