Michelin 'surprised' by Mosley's tyre proposals.

Michelin have today revealed that they have been taken by 'surprise', following proposals by FIA president Max Mosley to end the tyre war, and introduce a single tyre monopoly in F1.

In a statement released at the Spanish Grand Prix, the French firm added that they have yet to be officially consulted on this issue, but that while they agree with cutting costs, they do not believe that opting for a single tyre supplier would be a 'satisfactory solution'.

"I am surprised by this course of action," said Michelin group chairman and CEO, Edouard Michelin, "as, when we entered Formula One in 2001, it was following strong lobbying by certain teams that wanted to benefit from the positive effects of our technology on the performance of their cars.

"What's more, their requests were supported by the Formula One organisers to heighten the sporting interest."

Michelin added that they have now decided to consult with all its partners - which currently includes Williams, Renault, McLaren, BAR, Jaguar and Toyota - before making its position known on the very important subject of an eventual single tyre monopoly.

The statement concluded:

"Michelin is of course very much in favour of the objective to reduce costs in F1, costs which have increased greatly in recent years.

"Faced with this objective, Michelin believes the single tyre manufacturer option is not a satisfactory solution.

"On the other hand, Michelin would like to propose a number of solutions to reduce costs while maintaining the spirit of competition, that is to say the possibility of comparing one's performance against that of one's competitors, within the framework of clear and stable rules."