Michelin to stay WRC official tyre supplier until 2019

Michelin has signed an agreement to remain as the official tyre supplier for the World Rally Championship until at least the end of the 2019 season.

The French tyre manufacturer will stay as the official supplier to the factory WRC squads for the next three campaigns having announced a new deal on the eve of Rally Catalunya - Rally de Espana, where Michelin is hoping for a 300th WRC victory as well as the wrapping up the drivers' and manufacturers' world titles.

Within the top tiers of the WRC championship Michelin competes alongside Dunlop and Pirelli entries and motorsport director Pascal Couasnon welcomes the rivalry and is excited for the challenges ahead with the revised 2017 regulations.

"We are honoured to be working so closely with the factory teams and the confidence they have in us keeps driving us to design the best possible tyres," Couasnon said. "Our loyalty to the sport is also due to the close ties that exist between the discipline and everyday motoring, since the WRC features roads and tracks that are used by ordinary motorists.

"The more powerful cars that are poised to make their debut in 2017 pose a fresh challenge for our engineers whose mission is to continue conceiving tyres that are not only increasingly competitive, but also safer and more versatile.

"For Michelin, competing in the next three WRC seasons will provide us with further opportunities to innovate and showcase our expertise."