Three with Citroen!
Thanks to Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena, François Duval/Sven Smeets and Carlos Sainz/Marc Marti (who drove the second nominated Xsara in Turkey and Greece), Citroen and Michelin have succeeded in winning the Manufacturers` world title together for the third year in a row. Bravo, and a huge thank you to everyone at Citroen.

20 + 18 = 38
Since the creation of the WRC in 1973, Michelin has won 20 Manufacturers` titles (including 6 with the PSA Group) and 18 Drivers` titles (with 10 different drivers).

222 + 1 = 223
For the 15th round of the season, all three Michelin teams paid tribute to their tyre partner by carrying stickers on their cars featuring the figure ‘222` which is the number of world class wins Michelin tyres had taken since 1973, up to but not including Catalunya. The figure is now already out of date!

10 for Seb!
Sebastien Loeb has further extended his record for the highest number of WRC wins in a single season. Rising successfully to the challenge of the Catalunya Rally stages, rendered particularly hazardous by the difficult weather conditions, which in turn complicated tyre choices, the Frenchman picked up his 10th win of the 2005 season! At the same time, the two- times World Champion ensured Michelin`s tenth victory in the Spanish round.

Historic success
For the first time in the history of motor sport, a single tyre manufacturer has won the title in all three of the major disciplines (F1, WRC, MotoGP) plus the Le Mans 24 Hours in the same year. In 2005, Michelin claimed six world titles (Renault, Yamaha, Citroen, Alonso, Rossi, Loeb) and won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Audi (Kristensen/Lehto/Werner).

Edouard Michelin, President and CEO of the Michelin Group
“2005 has brought Michelin an outstanding crop of world class results, and the effort made on the technical front has been particularly visible in WRC, F1 and MotoGP. However, I believe that success in competition is not only a technical issue. It also depends on the quality of the relationships and confidence you enjoy with your partners.

“This is particularly true in rallying because of the broad spectrum of terrains the drivers face. Not only is it vital to have good tyres but it is also necessary to choose tyres that are the best suited to the characteristics of the car and to the prevailing conditions. It`s always a bit of a gamble when the drivers set off for a stage, so it is essential to understand and know each other well, and I believe that the success we have enjoyed in 2005 speaks volumes for the quality of our relationships.

“In 2006, it is BFGoodrich that will spearhead our presence in world class rallying. The brand has been an important part of the Michelin Group for 15 years and has both roots and a successful past in motor sport. We are convinced that with the backing of the entire Group behind it, its presence in WRC will contribute significantly to its development.”

Frederic Henry-Biabaud, Deputy Director, Michelin Competition
“I take my hat off to the Citroen and Michelin teams who both started the 2005 season in a somewhat special situation but who both succeeded in motivating their respective troops around a single objective, the world title. Citroen was not sure of its future in WRC and Michelin only supplied three factory teams, but for both companies it turned out to be a dream season. I would like to sincerely thank all those at Michelin - the developers, fitters and technicians – who have worked so hard to provide our partners with the best possible products and service all year long.”

Guy Frequelin, Citroen Sport Director
"Citroen a nd Michelin`s path together during the 2005 season has been remarkable. The new Michelin Z BTO came at just the right time to give us a helping hand and was a just reward for the mutual confidence the two companies share. I am particularly proud to have competed exclusively on Michelin tyres as a driver and to be in charge of a Michelin partner-team today."


Tags: spain, citroen, catalunya, tyres, michelin, competition,