Germany: Michelin competitiveness very obvious

By Michelin Sport
July 23 2005

World championship contender Kimi Raikkonen will start tomorrow's German Grand Prix from pole position. The Finn's 1:14.320 lap put him 0.439s clear of Jenson Button and maintained Michelin's 100 per cent pole position record for the season.

Points leader Fernando Alonso spearheaded the remaining Michelin runners. The Spaniard will line up third, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella, Mark Webber, Nick Heidfeld, Takuma Sato, Jarno Trulli, Christian Klien, David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher, Felipe Massa and Jacques Villeneuve.

Raikkonen's team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya vied for pole until he spun off at the final corner, an incident that condemns the Colombian to the back row of the grid.

"We are set for another very interesting race," says Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin Motorsport Director. "Several Michelin teams are clearly in a very good position. The pace of the McLarens and Renaults is self-evident, Jenson Button's BAR Honda is well placed and I wouldn't rule out Juan Pablo Montoya's chances of challenging for a podium position from the back of the grid. Our tyres performed well in yesterday's cooler conditions and were very strong again today, when temperatures were more like those we are used to at Hockenheim. The forecast might still be uncertain for tomorrow, but the competitiveness of our tyres is very obvious."

"Our partners have opted for tyre solutions that will combine strong overall performance with excellent durability," added Nick Shorrock, Director of Michelin F1 Activities. "These choices were relatively easy to make for the teams. There are some significant tyre loads here – particularly through the long, fast, left-hand sweep that leads to the first hairpin – but we have had no wear-rate issues at all. The warmer temperatures today were more suitable for our chosen compound's natural operating windows and I am very confident about our prospects for the race."