Have McLaren made a mistake with Michelin Tyres?

[Super Tourer]

The Michelin's look to be as inconsistent as last year..both JPM & KR prouduced erratic lap times.

Have McLaren shot themselves in the foot by going with Michelin, rather than staying with Bridgestone and being on the same tyre as their major rivals...Ferrari

[Speedworx]

I think not. They just need time to adjust to the new tyre.

[Speed]

Why did they change anyways ???

[paulzinho]

Possibly because they felt they couldn't beat Ferrari unless they were on different tyres?

[Mania]

I'm disappointed with Michelins wets and Inters. They've been consistently bad last season - and in winter testing - not to mention in the wet in Australia. They need to be far better if they want to challenge for the title.

As for Mclaren - they changed because they wanted an advantage over Ferrari - plus Dennis is working to get some preferential treatment over Williams from Michelin and that would never have happened with Bridgestone and Ferrari.

[Jay]

And what was with Montoya's front tires at the start of the race??????

That was not a normal tire... Are they wearing the grooves off of them before the race?

[Glen]

As soon as they hit those tracks which are good for the Michelins things will be the other way around - unless Bridgestone have radicaly improved there will still be circuits where the Michelin is clearly better.

The wets don't look good though, I'd agree - another rainy Malasian GP will be ten easy points for MS.

Brazil is probably the first half-chance for Williams and Mclaren to get a win back.

Mclaren definately didn't look like they liked the tyres, with some pretty erratic lap times. Williams seem to have a better handle on minimising the effects - but they've obviously got a year's more experience. Montoya's first set of fronts were totally bald at the pitstop, I noticed.

[BBKing]

Don't forget that FIA banned their latest development just before they sent their tires to Melburne.

About McLaren makind the bad decision. They were not getting equal treatment from Bridgeston ever since Suzuka 2000 so they did not have a good reason to stay with them.

We will see how bad was the decision at the end of the season.

[BootsOntheSide]

I think they made th right move, as now they can take some control on tyre development. Last season Bridgestone developed their package so as to fend off Williams, and that meant gearing the tyres to Ferrari's handling. McLaren obviously see themselves as the main threat to Ferrari, and feel that they can beat Williams

[jiminee]

One other thing to consider, McLaren a very keen to get Goodyear back nect year or the year after and Bridgestone apparently wanted a longer deal than McLaren were comfortable with so they had no choice, or so i heard.

[calais]

i would be surprised if mclaren are not having second thoughts about switching to michelin.what they have done is leave bridgestone to develop a tyre soley to suit FIArari,whilst at michelin they have to share development with williams.one more thing, wouldn't you expect toyota to go with a japanese tyre rather than french?? very odd..

[Total-F1]

One a race a season doesn't maketh.

I think it's a good move. Against Ferrari.

[NiceGuyEddie]

McLaren made certainly a good move... in favor of Ferrari that is.

Now with McLaren switching to the other camp, Ferrari has practically its very own private tyre-supplier. Ferrari even have put a special tyre-testteam together, headed by Luciano Burti. And Ferraripersonal have actually moved to Japan to coorperate with Bridgestone on tyre-development. All in the interest of Ferrari. Whoever races on Bridgestones as well, races on tyres that suit Ferrari best.

McLaren is unlikely to receive the same kind of service from Michelin, since they also supply Williams. Therefor their tyres will never be as effective as they are for Ferrari.

[Glen]

Whilst its true that Mclaren's situation was such that they were forced to share development with Ferrari, they now have to share it with Wiliams who are scarcely less significant rivals. Added to which the Williams chassis philosophy (as far as I can make out) is rather more different to the natural Mclaren one than Ferrari's is. In other words it might be harder for Mclaren to optimise their car for the French tyres than for the old Japanese ones.

All of which must mean that Ron Dennis believes that eventually the Michelins will prevail and be better more of the time. One, very cool-conditions, race can't tell us much - Ron Dennis might be right in saying that most of the Ferrari advantage was due to having the same car and data two years running.

Biggest problem for Mclaren is that even if gamble number one pays off, and the Michelins seem better, gamble number two has still to be taken-on - namely Williams; on the same tyre and with much more experience of that tyre.

[Mania]

Another point of interest is that the BMW engine is still more powerful than the Mercedes so the Williams has a better chance to finish ahead of the Mclaren even when the circuit suits the Michelins.

I reckon Mclaren will get on top of the tyres pretty soon - they have an excellent technical department, plus Michelin are providing them with technical support - but I dont think it'll helpd them beat Williams since Williams have the benefit of "BMW Power".

[eldougo]

Nice guy Eddie is 100 percent correct FERRARI have there own tyres now GREAT.

[calais]

i would like to know what facts people are basing their comments on engine A being more powerful than engine B????????you surely cant be basing it on straightline speed{just look at the arrows supertec in 2000- excellent top speed but surely the supertec was a dog}
also it is very difficult to judge power by listening to the amount of RPM. A motor with a longer stroke will suffer in the maximum RPM department but this does not mean it is down on power..

please explain

[Y! da Man!]

too early too say...but michelin have a lot of work to do...