The World Rally Championship drivers have praised Michelin's new, strengthened version of its Latitude Cross tyre.
The new construction made its debut this weekend, and because of the revised transport arrangements only the factory teams had an opportunity to test it beforehand.
“I think they’re very strong,” Citroen’s Sebastien Ogier told WRC.com. “It’s almost impossible to get a puncture now, so that’s a good point. Maybe we lose a bit of performance, but that’s the same for everybody, so it’s not a big problem.
“It’s a bit more slippery with them, but there are a lot of rocks on the road so there is a risk of punctures. If we had come here with the previous tyres we would have had to think about punctures all the time. Now we can focus a bit more on the driving.”
Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala had 560 kilometres of testing on the new rubber, including a simulated run-flat session with a deliberately punctured tyre.
“I think Michelin has done a very good job with the tyres,” he told WRC.com. “They’re strong and the durability is good. Maybe they’re wearing a bit more than the previous tyres but our experience so far has been very positive.
“They don’t feel very different. They’re as precise to drive as the previous ones, maybe the braking is a bit more difficult, but that’s the only area that’s different.”
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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