A Paris court has rejected Groupe Michelin's legal protest of the FIA's decision to make Pirelli & Cie SpA the sole tire supplier of the World Rally Championship (WRC).
Pirelli begins as the WRC's tire supplier next year in a contract that runs through 2010.
Michelin says it plans to appeal the court's ruling.
In February, it was announced that Pirelli had been picked to replace Michelin's BFGoodrich brand as the WRC's sole tire supplier.
Michelin officials called the decision by the FIA (Federation Internationale De L'Automobile) "regrettable" given the brand's success during previous seasons and that WRC car manufacturers "unanimously supported our proposal."
