MEDIA INFORMATION

2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)

PZM Rally Poland

The MICHELIN LTX Force and MICHELIN Latitude Cross

ready for the WRC’s fastest challenges!
Rally Poland is one of the events where crews reach the highest average speeds and fastest top
speeds of the season. In 2015, the winner completed the distance at an average that exceeded
120kph and top speeds of more than 200kph have been recorded over the tree-lined loose-surface
tests. The Polish round consequently resembles Rally Finland, yet its stages are even narrower
than those of late-July’s Scandinavian fixture, and there are fewer jumps.

Out of an overall distance of 1,253.29km, the 2016 Rally Poland features 21 stages totalling
306.10km. Based in Mikolajki, in the country’s Warmia-Masury region, approximately four hours
north of Warsaw by car, this year’s rally features several changes since 2015, including 104km of
new tests, while Friday’s action will take competitors close to the Russian Kaliningrad border to the
northeast.

To enable its WRC partners to compete safely on these demanding tracks, Michelin Motorsport has
taken a combination of hard-compound H4 and soft-compound S4 MICHELIN LTX Force tyres,
while the WRC2 competitors will be able to choose between the MICHELIN Latitude Cross H90 and
S80. All these tyres were designed to cover the wide spectrum of conditions encountered on the
WRC’s gravel rounds thanks to their strength and grip.

“If it rains, the stages are likely to cut up very quickly,” observes Jacques Morelli, manager of
Michelin’s WRC programme. “Given that there is only one ideal line, excessive corner-cutting is
risky, so we could well see deep ruts form. The Polish stages are sandier and softer than
elsewhere. If the conditions stay dry, it will be important to watch out for sharp stones. Our
recommendation is the soft-compound S4 version of our WRC tyre and the S80 variant of our
WRC2 tyre in order to make the most of the available grip. Careful management of tyre pressures
before and between stages will also be important because it is necessary to run a sufficiently low
pressure to favour grip on soft ground but enough pressure to protect the tyres’ shoulders which can
become more exposed. Running with low pressures gives the tread more work but the latter was
designed to provide maximum grip whatever the conditions and at all speeds.”

All Michelin’s gravel rally tyres pack advanced technology and cover an extremely broad spectrum
of uses in order to cater for all the situations drivers are likely to face in the course of the season.
Thanks to the Michelin Total Performance plan, which consists in taking several performance-
related factors forward at the same time, Michelin’s engineers have succeeded in developing tyres
that are both competitive and robust, despite these being perceived as conflicting qualities.

Didier Laurent – didier@autopressclub.com – Phone: +33.6.75.60.50.62

Alessandro Barlozzi – alessandro.barlozzi@michelin.com – Phone: +33.6.42.23.55.93
 Rally Poland particularly showcases the French firm’s expertise as the drivers get
close to speeds of up to 200kph on the event’s narrow, dusty stages.

The MICHELIN LTX Force H4 and MICHELIN LTX Force S4

Size: 205/65R15 (17/65-15)

Width: 205 mm

Sidewall height: 133 mm

Interior diameter: 15 inches

Tread pattern: asymmetric and directional (i.e. a left-hand side and a right-hand side tyre)

Surface: non-sealed surfaces

Use of the H4: aggressive, hard-wearing surfaces – dry ground – temperature: >15°C

Use of the S4: wet or damp dirt – temperature: <15°C

Rallies where the H4 is the nominated tyre: Mexico, Portugal, Italy, Australia, Spain

Rallies where the S4 is the nominated tyre: Argentina, Poland, Finland, Wales

The WRC drivers will be authorised to use up to 28 tyres in the course of the rally, while the
maximum figure for the WRC2 runners has been raised from 26 to 30. The drivers can choose
between soft- and hard-compound tyres and Michelin has taken 1,715 covers to Poland.

Michelin’s staff for the 2016 PZM Rally Poland

- 1 manager

- 1 development engineer

- 4 Technical Team Advisors

- 2 coordinators

- 8 fitters

Didier Laurent – didier@autopressclub.com – Phone: +33.6.75.60.50.62

Alessandro Barlozzi – alessandro.barlozzi@michelin.com – Phone: +33.6.42.23.55.93