One of the most difficult rally marathons in the world – “Silk Way” ended in Moscow.
Astrakhan’s off-road route through the North Caucasus included 10 stages, already cited by the participants as one of the most difficult in the history of the race. Technical support in all areas of extreme complexity was provided by a mobile laboratory and experts from Gazpromneft-Lubricants, and the rally itself became a testing ground for testing G-Energy engine and transmission oils.
The extreme race lasted 10 days and involved complex landscapes such as dunes, soil, rocks and fesh fesh – fine sand. The speed of sports cars on special stages reached 140 kilometers per hour. A serious test for all categories, from motorcycles to trucks, was extreme heat: the air temperature reached 50 degrees.
The mechanics and engineers of the participating teams could receive technical assistance from G-Energy experts. Diagnostics of equipment based on the characteristics of the operating engine and transmission oil was performed by a mobile laboratory equipped with high-precision research equipment and specialized software. By analyzing the composition and balance of impurities in the sample, smart technology provides a conclusion about the condition of components and compositions. A digital service based on artificial intelligence also allows you to forecast the further operation of the car. Accurate and quick monitoring enabled the teams to prepare the cars for the next races.
During the rally, experts conducted more than 100 lubricant studies. Their results helped diagnose dust contamination and water ingress, which in the course of further work would lead to serious malfunctions, failures in the engine and key components of racing equipment.
Stanislav Doroshenko, head of the expert group of the mobile laboratory G-Energy:
“In such difficult races, the cars’ engines and transmissions work under heavy loads – the working oil samples and analyzes we performed for all crews helped their mechanics make a very quick decision to change the oil or spare parts.” We keep a secret, as do doctors, but it was our research that helped one of the crews find hidden faults in the cylinder-piston group, and the other in the transmission, although there were no noticeable malfunctions, nor by noise, nor by driving characteristics.”
G-Energy experts not only provided professional expertise, but also selected specialized oils for the MAZ-SPORTavto team, which entered the top three race leaders in the truck group, as well as the crew of Anastasia Nifontova, who showed the best result in the four most difficult stages of the rally.
Sergey Vyazovich, captain of the MAZ-SPORTavto team, winner of the Dakar rally:
“Our team has had dozens of races, but we don’t remember such difficult special stages as this time. I tested the strength of the heat – in the cabin the temperature reached 56 degrees, as did the equipment and the scenery: the engine stopped at the ford on the 9th section in Volgograd, but even in the most difficult conditions, G- Energy oils have helped us and we are happy to share such high results and victories with our reliable partners.”
Nifontova’s team participated in the testing of G-Energy motor oils and its extreme experience will form the basis for new formulations for G-Energy products, which will be available not only to racers, but to all motorists.
Anastasia Nifontova, international master of motorsport sports, two-time winner of the World Cup in cross-country rally:
“The first days of the race were unexpected and difficult for us, we called it the team’s ‘growth syndrome’. It seemed that the technology did not share our speed and ambitions. But despite all the challenges, we didn’t give up. This made them the most productive team in the group in terms of number of victories, winning four special stages. The choice of the right strategy was given to us daily by the mobile laboratory of G-Energy, whose experts carried out constant technical monitoring of the engine and gave recommendations on the maintenance of the machine.”
The toughest 10-day off-road race has become a testing ground for G-Energy engine and transmission oils.
