McLaren poised for switch to Michelin

According to sources close to the French tyre giant, McLaren has broadly agreed terms with Michelin in the wake of Ferrari's decision to commit to Bridgestone until the end of 2004. No official announcement has yet been made and it is unclear whether the final contract has yet been signed.

McLaren looked likely to make a switch as soon as Ferrari announced its extended deal last month. It was widely presumed that by committing first, the Italian team would lead the direction of development of Bridgestone's tyres, leaving McLaren at a possible disadvantage as it strives to reassert itself over double world champions Ferrari.

Neither McLaren nor Michelin would comment on the news, but the tyre maker's competitions boss Pierre Dupasquier has made it clear that he sees a second top team joining its ranks as a huge benefit. Williams-BMW is currently Michelin's flagship contractee.

"For a tyre manufacturer to understand the result of a technical solution, you need to make sure the result is not coming from a particular car, " he said. "So having two or three front-running teams is a must - two is mandatory, and three is perfect."

McLaren's switch should put it in a stronger position development-wise, but isn't set to effect Williams' status. They have been given guarantees that they can still lead tyre development if their car demands it.

Meanwhile, Bridgestone technical manager Hisao Suganuma has stated that his company will not start treating its existing teams unfavourably in future tests if they are yet to re-commit to the Japanese manufacturer.

"We are going to use all the teams to get information," he said. "The important thing is to have good information."