Charles Milesi wins Goodyear Wingfoot Award at 6H Monza

Charles Milesi won the Goodyear Wingfoot Award in last weekend’s 6 Hours of Monza but, after five rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship season, Albert Costa still leads the points standings for the season-long prize.

Introduced this year and awarded after every WEC race, the Goodyear Wingfoot Award celebrates the art of maximising performance and promoting consistent pace across multiple stints. After each round, the award is given to the LMP2 driver who achieves the fastest stint average during a race, measuring their average lap time over two consecutive stints, and three at Le Mans.

Goodyear awards a set of tires to the winning driver’s team at each round of the championship. All LMP2 teams are entered into the Goodyear Wingfoot Award championship which uses the same points system as WEC to determine the winner of the course of the season. To support the development of future talent, the overall season winner will receive three sets of Goodyear LMP2 tires for use at the end-of-season rookie test.

Alpine Elf Team driver Charles Milesi won the award for the first time at Monza with an average lap time over two stints of 1:41.767, en route to his team’s runner-up finish in the race. The Frenchman also set the class’ fastest single lap time, a 1:40.683.

After five of seven rounds, Inter Europol Competition’s Albert Costa leads the standings. The Spanish driver was part of the race-winning team at Le Mans, where he also scored second-place points in the Goodyear Wingfoot Award standings. 

However, at 70 points in total, Costa is only two points clear from Team WRT’s Robert Kubica, meaning the Goodyear Wingfoot Award is all to play for as WEC heads to Fuji and Bahrain for the final two races of the season.

The origins of the Wingfoot

The idea of speed inspired Goodyear’s selection of the Wingfoot symbol soon after the formation of the company 125 years ago. Goodyear’s Wingfoot symbol is derived from the famous god of mythology known to the ancient Romans as Mercury, and to the Greeks as Hermes. Mercury was known as a swift messenger for all the gods of mythology, making it a perfect fit to Goodyear’s ethos of performance.

In addition to the tires and trackside branding having a dash of 1898 style in their branding, Goodyear will celebrate its long history of racing success at Monza, as well as looking forward to a new era with LMGT3 from 2024. 

Since its first Indycar victory in 1913, Goodyear has become the most successful tire company across motorsport disciplines as diverse as Formula 1, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and NASCAR. The global reach of Goodyear was encapsulated by the Garage 56 entry at Le Mans last month, bringing together the company’s activities in NASCAR and WEC into a project that won the hearts and minds of fans across the world.

 Endurance success

Between 1965 and 1998, Goodyear amassed 368 Formula 1 Grand Prix victories, a record that still stands today, but the company is also proud of its history in endurance racing. In the forerunners of today’s WEC, such as the World Sportscar Championship or Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, Goodyear used long-distance racing as a place to innovate and develop new technologies. 

The home of the Italian F1 Grand Prix has been a regular feature on these international endurance championship calendars for over half a century. From 1965 to 1969, the event used a combination of Monza’s F1 circuit and the fearsome banked oval to create an ultra high speed 10 km lap. This era coincided with Goodyear’s move from American racing into world championship motorsport, so a circuit that added Daytona-style banking to the traditional Monza lap was the perfect proving ground for Goodyear.

In 1970, the banking ceased to be used, but Monza was still a flat out slipstreaming circuit that tested mechanical reliability and tire durability. Goodyear was supplying tires to the leading Porsche, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo teams, winning the Monza round of the world championships with all three manufacturers during this decade.

The circuit was slowed in 1972 with the addition of chicanes, but this added to the demands on a tire manufacturer. Traction and braking performance become as important as high speed durability and stability. The first chicane, the Variante del Rettifilo, was renamed the Variante Goodyear during the 1980s and 1990s, with the high kerbs and rapid direction changes testing tires to the maximum for 1000 km or six hours of racing. However, when Goodyear teams were testing for Le Mans, the chicane was often bypassed as the ‘old-style’ Monza allowed tire testing at Mulsanne Straight speeds. 

Ben Crawley, Goodyear EMEA Motorsport Director: “Monza has so many special moments in Goodyear’s 125-year history. It’s a privilege to race at one of the most historic circuits in the world that still tests tires at incredible speeds. We hope the fans enjoy our historic branding, as we reflect on our favourite Monza moments.” 

Five Goodyear magical Monza moments: 

1973: Ferrari switched to Goodyear for the World Championship for Makes (a forerunner of WEC). Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman took victory at the Monza 1000km in the glorious 312PB.

1975: Alfa Romeo followed suit in switching to Goodyear, and Arturo Merzario and Jacques Laffite won in the Alfa Romeo T33/TT12.

1976: Niki Lauda returned from his horrific Nürburgring accident in a Monza F1 Grand Prix immortalised in the movie Rush. Lauda takes his Ferrari to a heroic fourth place, in a race won by fellow Goodyear driver Ronnie Peterson.

1988: Ayrton Senna collided with a backmarker at the Variante Goodyear in the Italian Grand Prix, denying the McLaren-Honda team a 100% clean sweep of wins that year. The fans were overjoyed as Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto took an emotional one-two in front of the Tifosi, less than a month after Enzo Ferrari’s death. 

2021: United Autosport took an overall podium and LMP2 victory in the WEC Monza round, in part thanks to the speed and endurance of their Goodyear tires. Philip Hanson, Fabio Scherer and Filipe Albuquerque tasted the champagne as world-class endurance racing returned to Monza after a 13-year gap. 

Next weekend, the FIA World Endurance Championship heads to Monza for the fifth round of the season. In fitting fashion, Goodyear is set to highlight its 125th anniversary with a very special rebranding at the historic Italian circuit, bringing back the first iteration of its Wingfoot logo. The Wingfoot has since become the inspiration for Goodyear’s Wingfoot Award, given to drivers who demonstrate peerless performance and consistency.

Since The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898, it has gone on to play an intrinsic role in the history of motorsport, with the most number of Formula 1 victories, Le Mans wins¹, and the longest-standing partner and sponsor in NASCAR history. Learn more about Goodyear’s history with the new ''Goodyear: 125 Years in Motion'' docuseries now streaming on YouTube.

Goodyear has recently renewed its commitment to international endurance racing with the eagerly-anticipated addition of LMGT3 to WEC in 2024, where it will be the exclusive tire supplier to the category.

“Goodyear will look a bit different at Monza”

The usual branding that adorns the tire sidewall and trackside decoration will, for the Monza weekend, be replaced by Goodyear’s first Wingfoot logo, originally created in 1898. The occasion is part of a number of celebrations across the world as Goodyear enters its 125th year. 

The Monza circuit, which also is steeped in history, is the oldest venue on the current WEC calendar, first holding a motor race in 1922. In April, Goodyear underwent similar retro rebranding for NASCAR’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. In Europe, it will do so again at NLS5 at the Nürburgring on the same day as Monza, and the Donington Park round of the British Touring Car Championship in August.

The Wingfoot icon can be traced back to the days of Greek mythology. Mercury was the messenger of the gods, whose image inspired Goodyear’s co-founder Frank Seiberling, who suggested it would be a fitting company emblem.

Today, the modern iteration of the Wingfoot is synonymous with Goodyear, representing how the brand has driven forward a host of technological advancements and continues to do so today. 

The Wingfoot Award, given to the LMP2 driver at each WEC race with the fastest average lap time over consecutive stints, embodies this theme. At Le Mans, the number 48 Idec Sport in the hands of Paul-Loup Chatin set an average lap time of 3m38.498s, over six tenths quicker than eventual LMP2 class winner Albert Costa in the #34 Inter Europol car.

“It’s safe to say Goodyear will look a bit different at Monza,” enthuses Ben Crawley, Goodyear EMEA Motorsport Director. “Changes to the sidewall and trackside branding will bring a strong flavour of Goodyear’s heritage to the circuit. We’re immensely proud of the Goodyear legacy in motorsport and this is a reflection of the time spent at the very top of the sport. Every member of the Goodyear family has played a part in our success and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

^{(1) Including Goodyear brands Dunlop and Avon.}

Goodyear 125^th anniversary celebratory docuseries

Watch Goodyear: 125 Years In Motion - On The Right Track: Brands, Icons & Racing. 

Goodyear has been a renowned name in the industry since its inception 125 years ago. From Charles Goodyear’s discovery of vulcanization of rubber to the Wingfoot logo, Goodyear has achieved several milestones. Learn about the history of Goodyear and its iconic brands, icons, and racing. Find out how Henry Ford’s request for Goodyear tires to race ignited the company’s entry into motorsports, and learn how Goodyear’s involvement in racing has not only been a proving ground for existing tires, but has also provided a unique point of difference for the brand. Get to know Goodyear’s extended family of brands, such as Kelly, Dunlop, Fulda, Debica and Sava, and hear about the iconic images associated with Goodyear, like the Wingfoot Express, Clock Tower, and the famous Goodyear Blimp.

The appointment comes as a result of the tender launched by the FIA and the ACO last December and was approved by members of the FIA World Motor Sport Council via electronic vote.

The new highly-anticipated class is set to replace WEC’s current LMGTE Am and ELMS’ LMGTE categories next year. The field will include some of the most recognisable and desirable sports car brands on the planet, so it is bound to become a fan favourite, particularly at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. From a technical perspective, the combination of front, mid and rear-engined cars will create close racing and an interesting development challenge for Goodyear. 

Goodyear will develop brand new tires for the category, using its wealth of experience in international GT3 and GTE categories. In endurance racing, Goodyear is currently the exclusive supplier to the LMP2 category in WEC and both LMP2 and LMGTE in ELMS. The addition of LMGT3 to Goodyear’s portfolio strengthens its position within international motorsport.

Development is already underway, with several tests planned throughout 2023 in Europe and North America. Goodyear will use a variety of circuits to develop and evaluate the tire before it enters competition, with a focus on some of the most demanding tracks for tires. Several GT3 manufacturers will be involved in the testing process.

Like other endurance projects, tire longevity will be a key focus. As a minimum, Goodyear aims to achieve double stints at all Grand Prix circuits and triple stints at Le Mans. Further details about the tire development will be revealed in due course.

Ben Crawley, Director of Motorsport EMEA, Goodyear: “We’re excited to begin a new era with LMGT3 in WEC. The news is a testament to Goodyear’s commitment to its long-term racing program, and everyone in the team looks forward to an exciting 2024 season and beyond. 

“The new category poses a fascinating technical challenge. There are a wide variety of cars in the category, and the new tire needs to meet the demands of them all. During the testing process we will work directly with some of the leading GT3 manufacturers, which will produce different challenges due to their varying engine configuration and setup philosophies. We are developing the new tire by combining new technologies with our experience and expertise gained in other championships worldwide.”