Michelin and the Le Mans 24 hours - Quicker and further
Michelin's new endurance racing tyres went quicker (new fastest race lap record) and further (new race distance record), while fewer tyres were used during the race.
Not only did Michelin succeed in notching up its 13th consecutive victory at Le Mans, but it also won all four classes, namely LMP1, LMP2, LMGT1 and LMGT2. The enhanced durability and competitiveness of Michelin's tyres made a real contribution to the success of its partners in what stands out as one of the world's most famous races.
The development of the 2010 range of tyres necessitated a full year of development. Indeed, Michelin began to design its new ranges as soon as the flag came down on the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours. The different tests and races programmed since the start of 2010 provided Michelin's LMP1 partners with an opportunity to select their tyres from a broad spectrum of products made available to them by Michelin.
The LMP1 teams chose the two types of tyre that were the most suited to their cars and to the driving styles of their respective drivers. These two solutions above all permitted tyre life to be extended with a view to enabling teams to do quadruple stints (more than 650km at an average speed of 240kmh), yet without detracting from their performance potential or safety characteristics. By bringing down the number of tyre changes required in the course of the race, Michelin makes a real contribution to promoting respect for the environment because it needs to manufacture and transport fewer tyres to the circuit.
These new Michelin tyres helped French driver Romain Dumas and Germans Timo Bernhard and Mike Rockenfeller (Audi R15 TDI) claim their first Le Mans win. Michelin and Audi have won this legendary event nine times together.
Nick Shorrock, the director of Michelin Competiton, said: "Bravo to the Audi team. But I would also like to spare a thought for our partner Peugeot who had a very difficult race this year. Michelin was at Audi's side in 2000 for its first success in La Sarthe, and then again in 2006 when a diesel car won Le Mans for the first time. For Michelin too, endurance racing serves as a valuable technological research facility. It allows us to validate innovations ahead of their use in road tyres, such as the recently introduced Michelin Pilot Sport 3. Michelin fulfilled its objectives by permitting the prototype race cars to do quadruple stints."
The MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge seeks to reward the most energy efficient performance and was won at Le Mans by the LMP2 HPD-ARX 01c entered by Michelin's partner Strakka Racing.
