Monza: Michelin qualifying report

PEUGEOT AND MICHELIN SET THE FIRST POLE OF THE SEASON

Today, on the famous Monza circuit in Italy Peugeot and Michelin set the first pole position in the opening round of the 2007 Le Mans Series and put two cars on the front row.

After only six test sessions since the start of the season the two companies have optimised their collaboration, and today's result is the fruit of a long process of adaptation.

Michel Barge, the Peugeot Sport director, explains just how important the work with Michelin is in the overall performance of the new Peugeot 908 HDI FAP.

- Are you satisfied with the performance of the Michelin tyres today?

MB "Yes, I'm delighted as the car seems to have really taken to its Michelin rubber! Today the Peugeot showed just how much at home it is with its tyres by setting pole and putting two cars on the front row. That's what we were hoping for. We're very happy with this joint result."

- Is it a big job adapting the tyres to your car?

MB: "It's been a long-term job and above all permanent collaboration. The Michelin and Peugeot teams work together in a very coherent way and they're very close to one another. This front row is the fruit of their successful team work."

- How is Michelin involved in your strategy whether in qualifying or in the race?

MB: ". By pooling our knowledge, and because we trust and respect each other, we've managed to obtain very positive results. It's really teamwork as each one brings his particular skills to the whole in his speciality, and that gives us the result we've obtained today. We still have the race to come but things have got off to a pretty good start."

- Why have you chosen to fit Michelin tyres on your car?

MB: "For their performance, because this manufacturer has an enormous amount of racing experience and because we share the same values in racing. Michelin and Peugeot try to find the best package possible. A car is a whole; it's a chassis, an engine, aerodynamics and of course tyres. In battling with our rivals we can't be good in some areas and not in others; we have to be excellent everywhere. The whole has to be better than the sum of its parts, and I think we've got it right!"

-credit: michelin