Winners of the MICHELIN The Right 2 Race online competition came to Malaysia’s legendary Sepang International F1 Circuit on August 2, 2014 to participate in the rare and unique opportunity of MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience 2014. The 25 winners from 6 countries won their way to the MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience 2014 from competing with over 3,600 participants by digitally driving with the fastest lap time with their chosen ideal racing lines and the perfect braking points around the digital version of Sepang International F1 Circuit.
The winners took part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience that included heart-pumping and spine-tingling activities of driving race-bred vehicles comprising of a new fleet of race cars such as Formula 4, Renault Clio Cup, and Citroen C2 Rally. Through specifically designed workshops, the winners drove on off-road rally tracks, and the entire track of Sepang International F1 Circuit. Besides driving, they participated in the Pit Stop Challenge where they experienced what it feels like to be part of the technical team, by competing for the best time in changing racecar tires.
Mr. Francis Ivan Isada received a special surprise from Michelin with an exclusive all-expense paid trip to witness Le Mans 24 Hours in Le Mans, France
On top of that, all winners sat in hot laps, driven by motorsport champions, on ultra-high performance race cars of Lamborghini Super Trofeo and the legendary Formula Le Mans 2-seater cars especially designed for this event.
All of the activities are done under the watchful eye of professional driving instructors and renowned racecar drivers, in a totally safe and competitive driving environment.
Ivan Isada: MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience 2014 champion
At the MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience 2014 this year, the 25 Right to Race winners also competed for the title of MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience Champion. The Champion was selected on his consistent performances during each of the activities, based on driving skills, concerns for safety, and abilities to follow the direction and guidance of the instructors. The Champion for this year is Mr.Francis Ivan Isada from the Philippines, and 2nd place goes to Mr. Mitchell Lukasz from Australia, and 3rd place was Mr. Willy Vaniliy Teo from Malaysia.
As champions of all winners, Mr. Francis Ivan Isada received a special surprise from Michelin with an exclusive all-expense paid trip to witness Le Mans 24 Hours in Le Mans, France in June 2015. To complete the total experience, the Champion will be dining at the Michelin 3-stars restaurant in Paris on his arrival. At Le Mans, he will be flown on helicopter for a tour of the track and visit areas of the circuit restricted to the public.
Ivan Isada, Champion of MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience 2014, said upon receiving the title that, “The award to Le Mans is a cherry on top of the icing on an already fantastic, amazing and superb event.”
Safety translates to performance and wins world class races
Mr. Tony Menard, Passenger Car and Light Truck Marketing Director in Southeast Asia and Oceania said, “Michelin has a strong passion for motorsports. Racers rely on the best tire as part of their key winning successes and to ensure their own safety. Over a century Michelin has been committed to bringing exceptional performance through our tires to them. The tires that we develop leverage sustainable combined performances illustrated by our philosophy “MICHELIN Total Performance” which reconciles qualities that some believe to be conflicting by virtue of technology, a principle that is at the heart of the company’s Research and Development strategy. These exceptional performances are translated to Michelin successes and wins in many world class races such as the Le Mans 24 hours, the World Rally Championship, Dakar.
The award to Le Mans is a cherry on top of the icing on an already fantastic, amazing and superb event
Motorsports is a laboratory to learn, test and prove our technologies. Thanks to our important investment in Research & Development, products tested on the tracks are playing a vital role when it comes to develop our road tyres.
Delivering a unique experience to Asia
Now, we are focusing to bring to our customers in Asia the unique opportunity that was only available to motorsports professionals. With MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience, participants will discover first hand our products’ performances, their qualities and the excellence of our services in a safe environment.”
MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience was unveiled in Asia at the Sepang International Circuit in 2006 to showcase and reinforce Michelin’s portfolio of tires for premium driving experience.
In his closing remarks Menard said, “All the winners today have understood the spirit of Michelin. The winners have not only been exposed to the world of Motorsports but they also have been distilled the Michelin’s DNA which is our concern for safety. I could only hope that all the winners would spread the message that only Michelin can deliver this kind of unique experience.”
