In line with its commitment to constant self-renewal, Michelin will rise to new challenges at the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Le Mans Series endurance races. The 2009 season features stricter rules with regard to tire changes, as well as new teams, new cars and an ever-greater focus on environmental issues.

Since 1992, Michelin has worked tirelessly to make its tires more energy efficient without sacrificing performance in the areas of grip and wear-resistance. And wear-resistance will be put to the test this year in endurance events with the introduction of new rules concerning tires.

Reducing the overall environmental impact of its tire is a strategic priority for the Michelin Group. On increasingly high-performance cars that put greater demands on tires, the average distance covered by Michelin’s endurance tires has doubled in ten years while grip and safety have also been improved. Today, Michelin is the only manufacturer to have successfully completed three driver relays at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP1 prototype category and four night relays with the same set of tires. The superior longevity of Michelin tires also means fewer tires produced and therefore fewer worn tires for disposal.

Building on its success since 2007 with the Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge, Michelin is going even further with the “Michelin Green X Challenge”, a competition conducted jointly with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Le Mans Series and the American Le Mans Series. The Challenge rewards teams that combine on-the-track performance with energy efficiency during the race. At the end of the five-race 2009 Le Mans Series season, the team designated the winner of the “Michelin Green X Challenge” will be invited to take part in the 2010 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Did you know?
Points awarded in the “Michelin Green X Challenge” are based on an energy efficiency index, which is calculated after each event for all participating cars.

The energy efficiency index is the ratio of the car’s average speed (excluding time spent in the pits) and its average fuel consumption during the race.

To determine the index, average speed is simply divided by average fuel consumption. For example, if a car’s average speed is 200 km/h and it consumes 20 liters of fuel per 100 km, the index is 10 (200 divided by 20).

The winner of the “Michelin Green X Challenge” is the team that has earned the most points at the end of the season.

Source : Michelin