New York, USA (August 23, 2019) - Gran Turismo announced today that world-renowned French tire manufacturer Michelin has become an official partner, serving as the main tire supplier for the FIA Gran Turismo Championships and the technical partner of tire technology for Gran Turismo Sport.

Immediately following this weekend's "World Tour 2019 - New York" live event, Michelin will begin its role as the official tire supplier for the FIA GT Championships, and will also be featured in various forms with free downloadable content planned for the game by October.

・ New "Michelin" section to be added in Brand Central

・ Tire Selection in Car Settings will showcase Michelin as Tire Technology Partner

・ Michelin logo's to appear on various tracks to celebrate the partnership

Michelin's deep association with motorsports dates back to 1895, when the company built a car for the legendary Paris-to-Bordeaux race to prove the durability and performance of its innovative pneumatic tires. Since then, Michelin has remained committed to supporting nearly every form of motor racing, which the company regards as the ultimate development laboratory, subjecting its tires to the most adverse conditions in the world. The knowledge gained from racing are applied directly to its commercial products, and now, it will also be showcased in "Gran Turismo."

We hope you are as excited about this ongoing collaboration as we are.

Scott Clark, Executive Vice President of the Americas Region for Michelin Group, Responsible for the Company’s Global Automotive, Motorsports and Experiences Business Segments:

“This relationship is a perfect match, connecting the most successful virtual driving experience with the global leader for high-performance tires, Michelin leads the industry in tire simulation. Michelin develops and tunes virtual tires on virtual vehicles before the tires are even produced, with extremely accurate translation to real tires on real vehicles. Combining this technology with real motorsports data will enable Polyphony to bring more tire strategy into the game, and in the longer term, also to help more people understand the critical role that Michelin tires play in optimizing vehicle performance.”

Gran Turismo Series Producer, Kazunori Yamauchi:

“The FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships is founded on a technical base established through 25 years of automotive physics simulation within Gran Turismo, and the unique automotive culture that it has achieved over the years. Having Michelin, the world’s leading tire brand with its passion for motorsports and solid engineering knowledge coming on board as an official tire supplier of the championships and a technical partner of the game itself, helps us continue in our vision of bridging the gap between virtual and real racing, and highlights these events as the future of motorsports.”