Drivers praise new Michelin tyres

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Drivers praise new Michelin tyres

Increased grip levels expected from new-spec tyres

Drivers praise new Michelin tyres

Formula E drivers have praised the new tyres developed and manufactured by Michelin for the 2016/17 FIA Formula E Championship.

The French tyre manufacturer, who are one of Formula E’s founding partners, have provided all-weather tyres for the first two Formula E season’s. Ahead of season three, the company produced a new-spec tyre to provide the drivers with more grip.

Sebastien Buemi, the reigning Formula E champion, was asked about the new tyres during a Facebook Live session on the official Formula E Facebook channel. He said: “I think they are quite tricky to use but it’s the same for everyone. We need to learn them pretty quickly. There is only so much opportunity to use them before the season starts. They definitely seem to warm up quicker but the car is moving a little bit more; that is definitely good for the show."

Venturi ace Stephane Sarrazin, who missed out some running in the afternoon due to a technical issue with the car, believed that even with limited running it was clear that the tyres provided more grip. He said: “They (Michelin) have done a good job. Last year’s tyres were very good but this year it’s a very different balance, so we need to work on the set up of the car. It’s good for the street tracks as we’ll have a bit more grip. Donington can’t be compared to the other tracks as it is so different, so we just need to do as much work as we can. Today I had some problems which meant that I didn’t do many laps. Hong Kong will definitely have a different set up than here so we don’t stress about having a good set up for here.”

Meanwhile Jerome D’Ambrosio believed that Michelin had achieved their goal of producing a tyre that heated up much faster. He said: “They are quite different. We are still learning them as the driving style is a bit different. You have quite good potential longitudinally but different potential latitudinally meaning that they heat up quite quickly which is very good. They are similar in terms of performance but they have different characteristics.”