Michelin Le Mans 24 Hours Preview
LE MANS 24 HOURS June 17-18 2006 PREVIEW The Le Mans 24 Hours - a capital fixture for Michelin Michelin tyres are unbeaten at Le Mans since 1998 Michelin tyres equip 28 of the 50 cars invited to start this year's race 2006 - a year of technological challenges for Michelin A fundamental fixture of Michelin's calendar for many years, Le Mans has carved out a unique place in motor sport history and in the hearts of racings fans the world over. Some 21 million viewers followed the 2005 race, while 230,000 spectators packed into the circuit twelve months ago to watch Audi'sTom Kristensen claim a record seventh win and Corvette's and Porsche's triumphs inGT1 and GT2. This time round there will be just as many to witness the Le Mans début of the Audi R10-Michelin, as well as the anticipated showdowns in their respective categories between Aston Martin and Chevrolet and between Ferrari and Porsche. Performance, impeccable reliability, pugnacity, reactivity, clockwork-like organisation, team spirit despite the often individualistic side to the sport and, above all, passion… The se are all ingredients it takes to win the Le Mans 24 Hours. And a victory in the French classic is priceless. No, that's notquite true. It does have a price: that of all the hard work that goes into painstakingly preparing the event in the months prior to the start, and then all the way to the chequered flag! It is doubtlessly for this reason that Le Mans has written some of the finest chapters in world class motor sport history. Legends based on drivers, teams, people, the industry, unforgettable on-track clashes and major automotive breakthroughs abound. Today, prestigious names like Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston-Martin and Chevrolet are all active in the discipline with a view to developing new technologies and/or promoting a dynamic image of their make across the planet. Meanwhile, privateers such as Pescarolo-Sport, RML and Russian Age Racing produce a very special effort to rival with the factory teams. For Michelin, the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours stands out as a capital challenge. To begin with, the aim will be to claim a 15th victory in the French classic - which would make it nine Michelin wins in a row! - and to accompany its factory and privateer teams to the very top. On top of that, this year has seen the Clermont-Ferrand firm join forces with Audi in its formidable adventure of bringing diesel power into top flight motor sport. Michelin is proud to have been chosen by its partners to rise to all these different challenges. "The philosophy of the ACO has always been to promote new technologies," says Frédéric Henry -Biabaud, Competition Director of the Michelin Group. "This philosophy in turn permits Michelin to be involved with its manufacturer partners to develop new technologies and innovate at their sides. For Michelin, endurance racing is a tremendous springboard for research and innovation." Michelin Competition Communication Tel : +33 (0)4 73 30 45 90 Fax : +33 (0)4 73 30 49 81 Endurance Press contact : Hervé Jothy +33(0)6 08 42 30 57 hjothy@aol.com www.michelinsport.com PRESS INFORMATION The discipline is effectively deeply rooted in Michelin's motor racing genes. This year once again it is involved in the ALMS, the Le Mans Series, the FIA GT World Championship and in Japan's JLMC and Super GT series, and its tyres are also unbeaten in the daddy of all long distance races - the Le Mans 24 Hours - since 1998. Michelin effectively sees endurance racing as one of the last motor sport arenas to permit direct competition between a high number of tyre manufacturers. It also offers a chance to highlight the strength of the bond between the firm's Competitions Department and Technology Centre to ensure that the progress achieved on the R&D front benefits competitors and ordinary motorists alike. Performance, durability, consistency, safety… Victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours calls for tyres that meet all four of these criteria. Not only must they be capable of running at speeds of up to 330kph, but they must also be able to safely sustain average speeds of more than 215kph and, above all, deliver consistent performance for three or four stints at a time, i.e. more than 500km. But winning a 24-hour race like Le Mans also means being prepared for the unexpected, including changing track conditions and sudden switches in the weather… An ability to anticipate, think on one's feetand adapt is therefore essential. And this is where Michelin's uniqueexpertise comes into its own. The Le Mans regulations specify that just four mechanics may work on the cars in the pit-lane at any one time, and the number of nut-guns that can be used is restricted to just two. Tyre changes are therefore costly time-wise, so the objective is to cover as many stints as possible with the same set - without compromising either safety or performance - and make sure that tyre changes coincide with refuelling stops. The ability of Michelin'sproducts to safely cover three or even four stints of twelve or thirteen laps in the case of the prototypes is one of the secrets behind its success at Le Mans. "Year after year our tyres have improved, both on the durability and performance fronts. The restrictive technical regulations aim to curb the performance of the cars. Yet the lap records at Le Mans continue to tumble and tyres have played a major role in pushing out the overall performance envelope," says Michelin Competition's CircuitRacing Manager Matthieu Bonardel. Objective: a 9th consecutive win This year, Michelin tyres have been chosen to equip 28 cars at Le Mans, a proportion which stems directly from the company'sdomination of the event since the late nineties, not only at the sharp end of the leaderboard but also in the different categories. "Everybody is looking forward to a thrilling battle between Audi and Pescarolo in LMP1," says Michelin's Endurance Programme Operations Manager Gérard Aussage. "I think we can reasonably expect the Audis to attempt to cover one or two extra laps per stint compared with their opponents. The Zytek and the Creation are also both very quick prototypes but their reliability has yet to be proven. Although new to endurance racing, Swiss Spirit recently picked up a top result at Spa, while amongst our rival teams, the Racing for Holland Dome stands out as a benchmark speed-wise and the Courage-Mugens showed their potential in Belgium. The fight in LMGT1 promises to be exceptional between two major names from the automobile industry: Chevrolet and its Corvette C6.R, and Aston Martin with the DBR9. The American make has dominated the category since 2004 but the Britons, who are this weekend running on Michelin tyres, have a very real chance. Of the private teams, the N°62 Aston Martin run by Russian Age Racing is capable of taking the fight to the factory outfits. The Saleen S7R produced top runs at Spa and Brno, while the Ferrari 550s will be able to count on a first class reliability record in their bid for a top finish. In LMP2, we are likely to face some stiff opposition but our ranks include the outgoing winners, RML. The main threat is likely to come from the Radical-Judd, a new, extremely quick car. In GT2, the Ferrari F430 is on its own against a fleet of Porsche 911 GT3s, the category's current leading force." ON THE TECHNICAL FRONT 6,000 TYRES… Approximately 6,000 Michelin tyres have been shipped to Le Mans in a fleet of 18 semi-trailers. Michelin's staff for the race totals60 people, including 7 American technicians and other technicians from the worlds of WRC rallying and Formula 1. PRELIMINARY TEST DAY… The official preliminary test day took place on Sunday June 4. The fastest lap, posted by the N°17 Pescarolo-Michelin, was more than a second quicker than the best time recorded during 2005's test day . Michelin also dominated in LMP2 with RML, in LMGT1 with Aston Martin and in LMGT2 with Ferrari. 3 SLICK COMPOUNDS... For the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours, Michelin's partners will have3 types of slicks available (soft, medium, hard), plus one type of qualifying slick. Each type of slick covers a range of ground temperatures of between 15 and 20°C. Competitors will also have two types of rain tyre available (for full rain and drying conditions), as well as one intermediate tyre. In total, Michelin will have 11 different tyre sizes at the French circuit. RECORDS TO BEAT... In 2004, Kristensen/Capello/Ara (Audi-Michelin) covered 379 laps (a distance of 5,173.72km). The fastest race lap dates back to 2002 when seven-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen clocked a 3m 33.483s (230.182kph). Since last year, the Dunlop Curve has been modified, essentially to slow down the motor bikes, but the change has also slowed the cars. A 15th LE MANS VICTORY?... Michelin is this year aiming for a 15th win in the world's greatest endurance race. Success will make it the second most successful tyre manufacturer at Le Mans. Meanwhile, a ninth win in a row this weekend for Michelin would put the firm on top in terms of the longest run of consecutive wins. The verdict will fall at 5pm on Sunday June 18. TYRE FACTS… In the course of a lap of the full Le Mans circuit, an endurance tyre has to withstand a longitudinal force of 2.5g under braking for the first Hunaudières , a top speed of 335kph (Indianapolis) and lateral forces of 2.8g through the Porsche Curves. In the course of a three-stint run, each tyre covers more than 500km. THE 2006 LE MANS 24 HOURS - MICHELIN'S PARTNERS LMP1 N°2 ZYTEK ENGINEERING ZYTEK NIELSEN/ANDERSEN/ELGAARD 33/68x18 - 37/71x18 - 36/71x18 N°5 SWISS SPIRIT COURAGE-JUDD PRIMAT/FASSLER/PETER 33/65x18 - 37/71x18 - 36/71x18 N°6 LISTER STORM RACING LISTER STORM MOLLER/KIESA/PICKERING 33/65x18 - 37/71x18 - 36/71x18 N°7 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST AUDI R10 CAPELLO/KRISTENSEN/MCNISH 33/68x18 - 37/71x18 - 36/71x18 N°8 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST AUDI R10 BIELA/PIRRO/WERNER 33/68x18 - 37/71x18 - 36/71x18 N°9 CREATION AUTOSPORTIF LTD CREATION-JUDD ORTIZ/GABBIANI/CAMP.WALTER 29/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 31/71x18 N°16 PESCAROLO SPORT PESCAROLO-JUDD MINASSIAN/COLLARD/COMAS 33/68x18 - 37/71x18 - 36/71x18 N°17 PESCAROLO SPORT PESCAROLO-JUDD HELARY/LOEB/MONTAGNY 33/68x18 - 37/71x18 - 36/71x18 LMP2 N°20 PIERRE BRUNEAU PILBEAM-JUDD ROSTAN/MACALISTER/PULLAN 27/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 27/65x18 N°24 BINNIE MOTORSPORTS LOLA ZYTEK BINNIE/TIMPANY/TERADA 29/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 27/65x18 N°25 RML LOLA AER ERDOS/NEWTON/WALLACE 29/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°32 BARAZI EPSILON COURAGE AER BARAZI/VERGERS/CUNNIGHAM 29/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 LMGT1 N°007 ASTON MARTIN RACING ASTON MARTIN DBR9 ENGE/PICCINI/TURNER 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°009 ASTON MARTIN RACING ASTON MARTIN DBR9 LAMY/ORTELLI/SARRAZIN 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°50 LARBRE COMPETITION FERRARI 550 GARDEL/BORNHAUSER/BLANCHEMAIN 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°61 RUSSIAN AGE RACING FERRARI 550 VANN/SMITH/SUGDEN 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°62 RUSSIAN AGE RACING ASTON MARTIN DBR9 BRABHAM/PIQUET/GARCIA 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°63 CORVETTE RACING CORVETTE C6R FELLOWS/O CONNEL/PAPIS 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°64 CORVETTE RACING CORVETTE C6R GAVIN/BERETTA/MAGNUSSEN 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°66 ACEMCO MOTORSPORTS SALEEN S7R BORCHELLER/MOWLEM/FITTIPALDI 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°67 CONVERS MENX TEAM FERRARI 550 PERGL/KOX/VASSILIEV 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 N°72 LUC ALPHAND AVENTURES CORVETTE C5R ALPHAND/GOUESLARD 30/65x18 - 31/71x18 - 29/65x18 LMGT2 N°76 IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT PORSCHE 911 GT3 DUMAS/NARAC/RICCITELLI 25/64x18 - 28/71x18 - 24/64x18 N°80 FLYING LIZARD MOTORSPORTS PORSCHE 911 GT3 VAN OVERBEEK/NEIMAN/LIEB 25/64x18 - 28/71x18 - 24/64x18 N°85 SPYKER SQUADRON SPYKER C8 CREVELS/DUMBRECK/CORONEL 27/65x18 - 28/71x18 - 27/65x18 N°86 SPYKER SQUADRON SPYKER C8 BLEEKEMOLEN/HEZEMANS/KANE 27/65x18 - 28/71x18 - 27/65x18 N°87 SCUDERIA ECOSSE FERRARI F430 KIRKALDY/NIARCHOS/MULLEN 27/65x18 - 28/71x18 - 27/65x18 N°90 WHITE LIGHTNING RACING PORSCHE 911 GT3 BERGMEISTER/KROHN/JONSSON 25/64x18 - 28/71x18 - 24/64x18 N°98 NOEL DEL BELLO PORSCHE 911 GT3 BOURDAIS/CLOET/SHARPE 25/64x18 - 28/71x18 - 24/64x18 Tyre sizes: front slicks - rear slicks - rain tyres (rain tyre dimensions given for front LMP1 tyres and rear LMP2, LMGT1 and LMGT2 tyres) Example: 33/68x18 = width (33cm)/exterior diameter (68cm) x interior diameter (18 inches) Sizes indicated in bold are new MICHELIN'S ENDURANCE WINS TO DATE IN 2006 ALMS (American Le Mans Series) 12 Hours of Sebring 1st, Audi-Michelin (McNish/Kristensen/Capello) Houston 1st, Audi-Michelin (McNish/Capello) Mid-Ohio 1st, Porsche-Michelin (Bernhard/Dumas) Le Mans Series 1000km of Istanbul 1st, Pescarolo-Michelin (Boullion/Collard) 1000km of Spa 1st, Pescarolo-Michelin (Boullion/Collard) FIA GT Brno 1st, Saleen-Michelin (Bert/Janis) MICHELIN'S ENDURANCE WINS IN 2005 Le Mans 24 Hours 1st, Audi-Michelin (Lehto/Werner/Kristensen) ALMS (Michelin - Champions with Audi) 12 Hours of Sebring 1st, Audi-Michelin (Lehto/Werner/Kristensen) Road Atlanta 1st, Audi-Michelin (Lehto/Werner) Mid-Ohio 1st, Lola-Michelin (Leitzinger/Weaver) Lime Rock 1st, Audi-Michelin (Lehto/Werner) Sears Point 1st, Audi-Michelin (Biela/Pirro) Portland 1st, Audi-Michelin (Biela/Pirro) Road America 1st, Audi-Michelin (Biela/Pirro) Mosport 1st, Lola-Michelin (Leitzinger/Weaver) Petit Le Mans 1st, Audi-Michelin (Biela/Pirro) Laguna Seca 1st, Zyrek-Michelin (Shimoda/Chilton) Le Mans Series (Michelin - Champions with Pescarolo) Spa 1st, Zytek-Michelin (Shimoda/Nielsen/Elgaard) Monza 1st, Pescarolo-Michelin (Boullion/Collard) Silverstone 1st, Audi-Michelin (McNish/Ortelli) Nurburgring 1st, Zytek-Michelin (Shimoda/Nielsen/Elgaard) Istanbul 1st, Pescarolo-Michelin (Boullion/Collard) FIA GT (Michelin - Drivers' Champions with Gardel) Monza 1er Ferrari-Michelin (Lamy/Gardel) Silverstone 1st, Aston Martin-Michelin (Kox/Lamy) Brno 1st, Ferrari-Michelin (Lamy/Gardel) Dubai 1st, Ferrari-Michelin (Lamy/Gardel) Bahrain 1st, Aston Martin-Michelin (Bouchut/Garcia)