MAHLE Motorsports – Review of the 2010 Racing Season
The season was long, but once again it was extremely successful for MAHLE Motorsports. Racing pistons and components from Fellbach and Kilmarnock demonstrated their high quality and technological advantages week after week in all categories and racing classes. Here are the results in some of the categories that are key testing areas for us, enabling us to apply the knowledge that we acquire in the racing arena to mass-produced cars.In 2010, 14 out of 19 races in the elite class of auto racing – Formula 1 – were won with MAHLE piston assemblies and bearings. MAHLE components also helped the Red Bull Racing team win the constructors’ championship a week before the top drivers’ award was announced. The season was nonetheless full of suspense, right down to the last race, since it involved dramatic head-to-head competition between five drivers – Alonso, Webber, Hamilton, Button and Vettel. It wasn’t until the very last race in Abu Dhabi that the winner emerged: Sebastian Vettel was declared the world champion driver after his victory in a flawless race from start to finish. Fernando Alonso, a Ferrari driver, was the runner-up.
NASCAR
Ever since NASCAR decided on the current Sprint Cup format, it had never been as close as it was in the 2010 season. The four-time champion Jimmie Johnson found himself in unfamiliar terrain – he was behind Denny Hamlin as they headed into the last race. But whatever happened on November 21, 2010, on the Homestead-Miami Speedway, there would be a reason for MAHLE to celebrate, for once again a NASCAR champion would be driving with MAHLE Clevite engine bearings under the hood.
Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team obviously made the right preparations for the last race day. For the first time ever, they won a fifth consecutive championship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. They also put the finishing touch on a successful racing season for MAHLE Clevite.
Every one of the Hendrick Motorsports engines is equipped with MAHLE Original piston rings, as are the engines of some of the other teams – but every team relies on MAHLE Clevite engine bearings.
Since the beginning of the NASCAR series in 1948, Clevite engine bearings have been in every winning vehicle on every racetrack in North America. The patented TriMetal™ engine bearings have demonstrated again and again that they are the only ones strong enough to withstand the extraordinarily tough demands placed on a NASCAR engine.
Jimmie Johnson’s record of five victories in a row may never be equaled, but for MAHLE Clevite it was the 63rd consecutive victory – and certainly not the last.
Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team obviously made the right preparations for the last race day. For the first time ever, they won a fifth consecutive championship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. They also put the finishing touch on a successful racing season for MAHLE Clevite.
Every one of the Hendrick Motorsports engines is equipped with MAHLE Original piston rings, as are the engines of some of the other teams – but every team relies on MAHLE Clevite engine bearings.
Since the beginning of the NASCAR series in 1948, Clevite engine bearings have been in every winning vehicle on every racetrack in North America. The patented TriMetal™ engine bearings have demonstrated again and again that they are the only ones strong enough to withstand the extraordinarily tough demands placed on a NASCAR engine.
Jimmie Johnson’s record of five victories in a row may never be equaled, but for MAHLE Clevite it was the 63rd consecutive victory – and certainly not the last.
The Formula 1 season
The rules prohibited the cars from refueling during the race. This meant larger tank capacities, which affected chassis tuning and tire wear. Of course designers also tried to further reduce fuel consumption in order to keep the starting weight as low as possible. The engines were therefore tuned to operate with a leaner mix, which resulted in higher temperatures and greater loads on components such as pistons and valves.
In addition, each driver was only allowed eight engines for the entire 19-race season, including qualifying and practice sessions. Therefore each engine had to be designed for a life of about 1,550 miles (2,500 km). In comparison, the life of a racing engine just a few years ago was less than 310 miles (500 km), and new engines were installed on each Grand Prix race day. The engine designers’ wish list included not only maximum reliability but also continuous improvement of moving parts as well as reduction of friction loss. MAHLE was able to play a key role by offering a range of different technical solutions such as specific coatings and also implemented many other developments successfully.
In addition, each driver was only allowed eight engines for the entire 19-race season, including qualifying and practice sessions. Therefore each engine had to be designed for a life of about 1,550 miles (2,500 km). In comparison, the life of a racing engine just a few years ago was less than 310 miles (500 km), and new engines were installed on each Grand Prix race day. The engine designers’ wish list included not only maximum reliability but also continuous improvement of moving parts as well as reduction of friction loss. MAHLE was able to play a key role by offering a range of different technical solutions such as specific coatings and also implemented many other developments successfully.
Another victory for MAHLE in Le Mans
The overall victory for MAHLE in what is probably the world’s toughest race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has almost become a tradition. The 2010 race was more like a sprint than a long-distance race – from the lap times of the competitors Audi and Peugeot to the failure of all the Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP racecars due to conrod damage. The victors Rockenfeller, Bernhard and Dumas drove the fastest race of all time. With their Audi R15 TDI they covered 5,410 kilometers (3,362 miles) in 24 hours, breaking the previous record set in 1971 – and this, despite having to handle two additional chicanes on the Mulsanne straightaways and other course modifications. The victors’ average speed was over 225 km/h (140 mph). Both the Audi and Peugeot high-performance engines are equipped with MAHLE MONOTHERM® steel pistons – the only pistons that can currently withstand the extremely high cylinder pressures.
World Rally Car
Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, driving the Citroën C4 WRC, were the winners of the FIA World Rally Championship. They won 7 out of 13 championship races – naturally with MAHLE pistons – and dominated the season.
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The 2010 DTM champion had not yet been announced when we went to press, but it was already clear that MAHLE pistons would also be victorious in this racing series, the German Touring Car Masters. After all, the DTM favorites Audi and Mercedes trust in MAHLE. The four-liter V8 engines, which generate 500 hp (almost 368 kW), have no problem powering the heavy vehicles that weigh about 2,205 pounds (1,000 kg) each.
