Tyre choices for Rally Japan
For Rally Japan, each driver was able to choose a maximum of 60 tyres, of which a maximum of 40 may be used during the event. These lists had to be registered prior to August 12th. Only one tread pattern is authorised for the Japanese round and Michelin drivers have chosen the Michelin Z BTO.
7 stages with the same tyres
During Leg 2 of the 2005 Rally Japan, drivers face the prospect of contesting seven special stages with a single set of tyres, making it the highest number of stages in the same group since the start of the year. Meanwhile, the programme of the opening day features a 50.65km stage, the longest of the season.
Z8 & Z9 compounds
This weekend, Michelin expects to see its partners principally use the Z8 (soft compound) and Z9 (medium) versions of the Michelin Z BTO. The longest stage of the rally is however now 50km instead of 30km, and this has led to the availability of a number of Z9+ (hard compound) BTOs which could prove very useful for the second pass through this test if temperatures approach 20°C.
Testing in GB
With pre-event testing banned in Japan, testing for Rally Japan took teams to Great Britain at the beginning of September.
Joker tyre?
Drivers have the possibility of playing up to three tyre `jokers` in the course of the year in the case of `long haul` events. This system enables them to trade twelve tyres from their originally nominated lists for alternative products at the last moment. Will any such jokers be played in Japan? So far, only Ford`s drivers have made use of this facility, once, in Mexico.
Tyres for Australia
The drivers had to nominate their tyre lists for Rally Australia (November 11th-13th) before September 23rd at the latest. The shipping containers set off for Perth shortly afterwards.


Tags: japan, asian, asia, obihiro, tyres, michelin, gravel,