The starting gun has been fired on the tender process for the next FIA World Endurance Championship tire supplier contract, with the FIA issuing an invitation to prospective suppliers. The next contract will be for the 2030-32 seasons, although the FIA will hold the option to extend it through to the end of 2034.
“In order to exercise such extensions,” the document states, “the FIA/ACO shall give notice to the provider no later than Dec. 31, 2031 for an extension to the 2033 season of the championship, and no later than Dec. 31, 2032 for an extension to the 2034 season of the championship.”
Three slick compounds will need to be supplied for the Le Mans 24 Hours, with this number reduced to two for other FIA WEC events, alongside a single wet compound.
The targeted price per tire has been set at €900 ($1,054), to be adjusted according to inflation. Tires will need to be supplied for race events, official and private testing, and homologation and private wind tunnel runs. Based on a field of 18 Hypercars contesting eight races, an annual supply of 8,300 tires is estimated.
Performance, at a minimum, must match the level of the 2025-spec Michelin rubber currently in use, while a three-star FIA environmental rating is also required, with the ban on tire warmers remaining in place.
The wheels must have a maximum width of 13.5 inches (front) and 15 inches (rear), with a maximum total diameter of 28 inches, and rim diameter of 18 inches.
No changes to the tire specification are permitted during the duration of the contract, “except in the case of structural issues and with the approval of the FIA/ACO technical departments.”
Any applicants other than the current supplier, Michelin, will be permitted to run up to five test days before the deadline for the sole purpose of this tender, with all eight current Hypercar manufacturers invited to run a single car at each test.
Michelin has been the single supplier for Hypercar since the category was introduced in 2021. It has also supplied IMSA’s GTP class, which also features LMDh and LMH prototypes, and has recently had its deal extended through to the end of 2035. In 2026, it will introduce new slick compounds for both championships following a multi-year development program.
Goodyear, the current tire supplier for the FIA WEC and ELMS LMGT3 class, is expected to join Michelin in making a bid for the future Hypercar contract. It is not yet clear whether or not a third constructor is planning to compete for the deal, too.
