Do Michelin tyres travel business class? In air-conditioned comfort? The question brought laughter from technical boss Nicolas Goubert, but he admitted it was not a million miles from the truth – though in fact it is cold that can damage the compounds rather than excessive heat.
“You have to be careful with the tyres, especially hot-weather tyres like for Malaysia, that you don’t expose them to very low temperatures,” said Goubert. “And in a ‘plane it can be very cold, so you have to be careful.”
By Michael Scott
