McLaren confirms Michelin switch.

McLaren will run on Michelin tyres next season, having announced that it was parting company with long-time supplier Bridgestone.

Although the Woking team has yet to make an official announcement of the switch to the French manufacturer, a statement issued today [Tuesday] paid tribute to the relationship it had enjoyed with Bridgestone since 1998 and confirmed that its partnership would end at the start of 2002.

"Bridgestone has been a great partner of McLaren over the last four years and we have enjoyed a high level of success and the best of times together," claimed the team's managing director Martin Whitmarsh, "It has been particularly gratifying to be able to forge strong professional and personal ties between our respective teams. Both Bridgestone and McLaren have derived a great deal from our time together, and can both part company satisfied with our respective achievements."

The partnership began with the 1998 Formula One season as Bridgestone returned to the grand prix scene, and quickly yielded one constructors' and two drivers' titles. Bridgestone's first season with McLaren - its second in F1 - saw the Japanese company assist Mika Hakkinen to his first drivers' crown, as McLaren snatched the teams' competition with nine wins. The following year, Hakkinen, McLaren, Mercedes and Bridgestone repeated as drivers' champion with seven wins. In all, the four year partnership yielded a total of 27 race victories, with David Coulthard joining Hakkinen as a McLaren-Bridgestone winner.

"Mercedes-Benz wants to thank Bridgestone for their excellent achievements during the last four years of co-operation," commented Norbert Haug, head of the German marques' motorsport programme, "Those years have been very successful, with Mika Hakkinen winning two titles on Bridgestone tyres and our team taking one constructors' championship and finishing as runner-up three times."

McLaren will now join Williams, Benetton, Jaguar, Minardi and Prost on Michelin tyres, as the French company attempts to use its second year back in the top flight to topple Bridgestone and Ferrari from their championship perch.