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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