Bloomberg Anywhere Bloomberg Professional About Bloomberg


Sports


Michelin Would Consider Formula One Return, CEO Says (Update1)

Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Michelin & Cie. would consider a return to Formula One if the auto-racing series reverts to having more than one tiremaker, Chief Executive Officer Michel Rollier said.

“Today I say we would think about it,” Rollier said in an interview in Moscow. “The number of tiremakers which can offer tires for Formula One is fairly limited. We will see.”

Bridgestone said Nov. 2 it will withdraw as the single supplier after the 2010 season to cut costs of about $100 million. Michelin first entered Formula One in 1977 and ended its most recent stint in 2006 after criticizing the plan to switch to a single tiremaker.

The French company, which was supplying seven teams to Bridgestone’s three, said at the time that having a single supplier dims public interest and takes away the stimulus to improve performance.

Michelin hasn’t had contact so far with the Formula One ruling body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile about a possible return, Rollier added. France’s Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team manager, replaced English barrister Max Mosley as president of the FIA last month.

To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Duff in Madrid at aduff4@bloomberg.net


Sponsored links