Michelin’s FIA ERC involvement continues in 2021…

The 2021 FIA European Rally Championship (FIA ERC) kicks off this weekend with Orlen Rajd Polski-Rally Poland (June 18-20) which is based in Mikolajki, northeast Poland. Michelin’s colors will be defended by a number of leading teams and drivers who will compete on the firm’s Customer gravel tires, the development of which benefited from Michelin’s 350 wins in the sport at world level.

“The FIA ERC is a great platform for drivers to showcase their talent in Rally2 cars,” says Julien Vial, the Manager of Michelin’s Customer Competition Department. “And given the fierce rivalry that exists between tire firms, it’s a tremendous platform for Michelin, too!”

The opening round of the 2021 championship will take teams to Mikolajki, a holiday resort in the heart of Poland’s lake district, for Orlen Rajd Polski-Rally Poland. The event is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with a menu of extremely fast dirt tracks that will probably see the top contenders reach average speeds in excess of 130kph!

At such high speeds, the crews will be glad to be able to count on the grip and traction performance of their Customer-spec MICHELIN Latitude Cross PZ tires which were developed for smooth gravel.

Michelin has an enviable record on the event, including outright victory with the defending champion in 2019, the last time it counted towards the FIA ERC. It also won there from 2014 until 2017 when the fixture qualified for the FIA World Rally Championship, with tires that provided the basis for the development of the Latitude Cross PZ.

The 2021 FIA ERC entry includes numerous Michelin-equipped front-runners, including Andreas Mikkelsen, Nil Solans, Yoann Bonato, Grégoire Munster, Erik Cais and Marczyk Mikolaj. “We are proud that they have chosen to contest the series on Michelin rubber,” notes Julien Vial. “They are all skilled drivers and we will do everything in our power to provide them with the most competitive tires and a level of technical support that does justice to their talent.”

Michelin will also work with the upcoming youngsters taking part within the framework of the ERC-Michelin Talent Factory for Rally2 drivers aged less than 28-years-old. “They will benefit from different forms of aid, from discounted prices, to personalized advice from a Michelin technician and bespoke media coverage. The best-placed driver after the first six rounds will win a full tire allocation for the season’s last two rallies.”

The Orlen Rajd Polski-Rally Poland starts in Mikolajki on Friday, June 18, and the 100 or so crews can look forward to 14 stages totaling 202.76 kilometers.

Calendar - 2021 FIA European Rally Championship:

June 18-20: Rajd Polski-Rally Poland (gravel/Poland)

July 1-3: Rally Liepäja (gravel/Latvia)

July 23-25: Rally di Roma (asphalt/Italy)

August 27-29: Barum Rally Zlin (asphalt/Czech Republic)

September 15-18: Açores Rally (gravel/Portugal)

October 1-3: Rally Serras de Fafe (gravel/Portugal)

October 22-24: Rally Hungary (asphalt/Hungary)

November 18-20: Rally Islas Canarias (asphalt/Spain)