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Le Mans 24 Hours : A sporting monument for Michelin

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PRESS INFORMATION

Le Mans, Wednesday 13 june 2007
24 Hours of Le Mans - Qualifications



THE LE MANS 24 HOURS,
A sporting monument for Michelin



The  Le  Mans  24  Hours,  the  Monte  Carlo  Rally  and  the  Indianapolis  500  are  without
doubt  the  world's  three  most  famous  motor  sport  events.  Some  21  million  viewers
followed Le Mans on TV in 2005, while 230,000 spectators packed into the circuit itself.
With the exception of the Tour de France cycle race, which lasts three weeks and is free
of  charge  to  watch,  the  Le  Mans  24  Hours  is  France's  single  most  popular  sporting
event.  It  is  also  a  major  fixture  for  Michelin  who,  after  winning  the  inaugural  event  in
1923, will this year be looking for a ninth consecutive win.


The vital role played by tyres at Le Mans
Victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours - which uses a circuit that is opened exclusively for the
race and the official preliminary practice day - calls for tyres that are capable of running
at speeds of up to 330kph and safely sustaining average speeds of more than 215kph.
Above  all,  they  must  be  capable  of  remaining  consistent  for  up  to  three  or  even  four
stints at a time, a distance of more than 500km.

Year  after  year,  Michelin  tyres  progress  in  terms  of  both  durability  and  performance.
The  restrictive  technical  regulations  aim  to  curb  the  performance  of  the  cars,  yet  lap
records  at  Le  Mans  continue  to  tumble  and  tyres  play  a  big  role  in  pushing  out  the
overall performance envelope.
Competing  in  a  24-hour  race  equally  means  being  prepared  for  the  unexpected,
including changing track conditions and sudden switches in the weather… An ability to
anticipate,  react  and  adapt  is  therefore  essential.  And  this  is  where  Michelin's  unique
savoir-faire  comes  into  its  own,  a  factor  that  its  partners  clearly  value.  For  any  tyre
manufacturer,  the  principal  challenge  of  competing  at  Le  Mans  is  the  fact  that  it  is
impossible to simulate race conditions.


70% Michelin Field
The  Zytek  Arena  International  Motor  sport,  N°10,  driven  by  Stefan  Johansson  has
officially  declared  forfeit  to  the  ACO  today  due  to  a  badly  damaged  chassis  and
electrical circuits following a violent accident during testing.
54 cars will take the start on Saturday, 38 equipped by Michelin, resulting in an amazing
70% of the Le Mans field.


« Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge »

Given the important role played by endurance racing in its competition strategy,
Michelin has decided to launch the 'Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge'
Based on the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours and the six rounds of the 2007 Le Mans Series,
the scheme see Michelin reward those teams that make the best use of the fuel they
consume, expressed as an Energy Performance Index (EPI) calculated after each
event.
Prizes are awarded to the best-performing teams in all four categories (LM P1, LMP2,
GT1, GT2).

The Energy Performance Index is based on the following parameters:
- The vehicle's average speed over the total distance covered,
- The vehicles weight,
- The actual fuel consumption of each vehicle (litres/100km)

The 10 000 euros prize while be awarded this Sunday afternoon at Le Mans to the
winners team of each four categories.


Press Contact: Séverine Ray  - +33 6 74 68 76 44
severine.ray@free.fr

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