As the paddock empties at Sepang long after darkness fell on Friday night, more details about F1’s possible new tyre formula emerged.
The team bosses met earlier with Bernie Ecclestone at the Malaysian circuit, and the major topic was Bridgestone’s withdrawal at the end of the year.
It is now known that Michelin has made a tentative proposal to return, but with very clear conditions. One of those, it is believed, is for its 2011 F1 product to have fundamental synergies with the French marque’s other motor sport forays.
One such synergy is with Michelin’s sports car programme, which could see the diameter of the F1 wheel rims dramatically increase in size from the current 13 inches.
18-inch F1 tyre regulations would see not only a dramatic aesthetic change, with a move from very thick to very low-profile sidewalls, but Michelin therefore able to share its technology between the racing series.
It is believed that Michelin’s proposal did not meet unanimous approval among the team ranks in the meeting with Ecclestone. The teams association FOTA was due to meet subsequently on Friday afternoon.