The fifth round of the 2012 World Rally Championship will
take teams to the moon… or nearly! The rocky, lunar
landscapes visited by the Philips Rally Argentina
(1,770.92km) and the nature of its stages (notably the
high-altitude El Condor test, SS16/18) make it an event
apart in world class rallying. Although the southern
hemisphere autumn temperatures tend to be mild, the
atmosphere generated by the tens of thousands of spectators
who line the route will be sure to provide a warm welcome,
despite the dust kicked up by the competing cars.
Two factors make this round particularly tough for tires,
namely the length of certain stages (up to 66km: SS14,
Matadero/Ambul) and the numerous sharp stones concealed by
the sandy surfaces.
Also, the total competitive distance of this year's
event has been increased by one-third from 378.15km in 2011
to 502.73km this time round, and certain groups of stages
will reach almost 100km in length.
Michelin's partners will have a choice of two types of
tire for the 2012 Philips Rally Argentina:
-
An allocation of 40 hard-compound MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross
H1s (the officially-nominated tire),
-
An allocation of 10 soft-compound MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross
S1s.
In the course of the event, they will be able to use five
tires per tire-change opportunity (seven), plus a further
five for shakedown, which makes 40 tires in total.
Tire strategy during the 2012 Philips Rally Argentina will
also extend to the number of 'spares' the crews
choose to carry in their respective cars. The decision to
carry one spare or two will influence both their ability to
push (carrying just one spare tire represents a weight
saving) and the amount of grip they will have (carrying two
spares will enable them to benefit from two fresh tires at
some point during the group of stages in question).
Michelin will have 1,300 tires for its partners at the 2012
Philips Rally Argentina:
-
1,000 MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross H1s
-
300 MICHELIN LATITUDE Cross S1s
As is the case on European events, Michelin will provide
its partners with a comprehensive service thanks to the
presence of seven fitters, one coordinator and one manager.
Three technicians will be on hand to advise Michelin's
partner teams and channel back information to the Technical
Department. Serge GRISIN, the manager of Michelin
Competition's four-wheel activities, will attend the
event along with Jacques MORELLI, the manager of
Michelin's rally programmes, in order to supervise
operations from the rally's service park.
Media contact:
Alessandro BARLOZZI - alessandro.barlozzi@fr.michelin.com
Phone: +33 1 78 76 45 20 - Mobile: +33 6 42 23 55 93
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