It is a curiosity to many that Michelin Tyres and The MICHELIN Guide are in fact the same company. When you work for The Guide, it’s one of the questions you find friends and family ask the most frequently: “So are Michelin restaurants and Michelin tyres connected then?” Yes, yes they are. The Guide was initially devised in the late 19th century as a list of places to visit, eat and stay while driving around France. The plan was that motorists would in turn use their cars more and eventually buy more Michelin tyres.
Today, the two parts of the business don’t interact all that frequently, but sometimes we have the joy of entering each other’s world. That’s what happened when one of our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors attended the Silverstone Festival 2024 as part of the Michelin team. Below, they have written first-hand about their experience.
"In my many years working for Michelin, I have always been involved with inspecting restaurants. But as we are a part of the larger parent group Michelin Tyres PLC, I was given the opportunity to get involved in a small way in the annual Silverstone Festival, which took place over three days at the end of August.
"The festival is a vast and exciting car event held at the historic Silverstone Circuit race track in Northamptonshire, a venue best known for being the site of the British Grand Prix, where home favourites from Stirling Moss to Lewis Hamilton have had some of their greatest triumphs. It’s unsurprising, then, that the Silverstone Festival is a major event for motoring fanatics, with everyone who is anyone in the car world wanting to get involved.
"My Silverstone experience began in the weeks and months before the Festival itself, with numerous meetings about my role allowing my excitement to steadily build. As I arrived at Silverstone for the first time in my life, it did not disappoint. The sheer size and scale of the race track was mind-blowing to me.
"My official duty over the course of the weekend was to be one of the helpers at the Michelin Tyres unit, giving information to anyone interested in Michelin’s services. This was something of a learning curve for me too, with some of the more technical questions going way beyond my knowledge. To listen to my colleagues from the tyre business talk with such expertise was a joy, giving me an even greater respect for what they do. Thankfully, there were a few ‘restaurant questions’ as well, so I wasn’t a fish out of water the entire time."
"When I wasn’t helping out at the Michelin stand, there was plenty to enjoy elsewhere at the Festival, including rides, food stalls and music from Olly Murs, Busted and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Then, of course, there were the cars. From classic Ferraris to vintage Rolls Royces and everything in between, much of my downtime was spent walking around the track and seeing these beautiful cars, which were in primary condition.
"I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to see the Silverstone pit lanes – where many lightning-fast tyre changes have taken place over the years – and to see classic Formula One cars whizzing round the track itself. I’ll never forget the noise and the sheer speed of these incredible machines. It was a real treat, as was seeing the immaculate classic Minis, which will always have my heart.
"I was amazed at the diverse array of ages among the Festival’s visitors. Car fans both young and old, including entire families, had come here. Many were camping or staying at hotels on site for the full three days – and one or two individuals were almost Michelin-obsessed. They would doubtless have loved it when Bibendum – or the Michelin Man as he’s better known – appeared, with so many visitors delighted to see this instantly recognisable mascot.
"For me, Bibendum is a reminder of the wider Michelin family I’m a part of, many of whom I met for the first time this weekend. He’s an icon in both the tyre and restaurant worlds, which can’t be said of anyone else, either real or inflatable. He’s the perfect embodiment of the fact that, yes, Michelin tyres really are related to Michelin Stars."
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