LONDON -- Michelin need to improve their tires following the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, their competition director Pierre Dupasquier said.

Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya complained after the race that the Michelin tires were inconsistent and suggested little improvement on last year.

Dupasquier said the French company can no longer blame outside influences for their poor performance.

"We must do better, much better," Dupasquier said in a statement. "We no longer have the excuse of not knowing the circuits and we are working with teams whose abilities are well established.

"The challenge is to prove that Michelin can deliver the results everyone expects in the wake of last season's successes."

Michelin claimed to have made significant gains on their wet weather and intermediate tires -- the very products that Montoya claimed need more work -- before the Australian Grand Prix.

But the company is working hard to counter the problems and will test at Silverstone this week to continue their development.

"It was a wild result (in Australia) but we collected good information," said Dupasquier. "We have new tires ready for the next race in Malaysia, where it could be 50 degrees and difficult for the tires."

Despite his complaints Montoya finished second in the Australian Grand Prix, and although Michael Schumacher won on Bridgestone tires, the rest of the top six bore Michelins.