- For the brands: tests of their products that can be carried out in real conditions, allowing the collection of data that will be used for their optimisation and development.
- For the Dakar organisation and the competitors: the provision of a service for the safety and performance of the competitors, based on technical know-how and advice from brand experts.
Motul, Major Partner and Official Lubricant Partner to the Dakar, will offer competitors an engine oil analysis service.
A state-of-the-art laboratory will:
- Search for metal elements present in the lubricant in order to detect premature or accelerated engine wear and thus know if it is necessary to carry out replacement of a part(s).
- Analyse the composition of the lubricant in use in order to highlight any coolant leaks or fuel dilution that may damage the engine and limit its performance.
- Follow the evolution of these factors on a daily basis and recognize the development of lubricant ageing and degradation due to the extreme conditions of use. This predictive tool will also allow crews to organize their maintenance schedule (parts replacement, oil change etc...).
To benefit from this service, competitors just have to go daily to the Motul truck, positioned in the Dakar Service Center, in order to request an analysis kit and then return with the sample which will then be analysed by machine. Two technical experts (a French and an Argentinian) who speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German, will be present for the entire Dakar event to analyse the results and make recommendations to competitors. This free service, offered to all competitors on the Dakar, will be available from 15h00 to 23h00 at all the bivouacs within the rally (except the Marathon Stage).
Motul's engine lubricant analysis service is provided for guidance only and cannot anticipate any mechanical damage that may occur during the race.
BFGoodrich, Official Supplier of the Dakar, offers competitors in the race free tyre fitting and inflation.
This tyres service will be invoiced to car, motorbike, quad and trucks competitors (and not to service vehicles) with brands tyres other than BFGoodrich or MICHELIN. This service will be offered from 15:00 to 23:00 every day of the rally (except during a marathon stage) and from 10:00 to 20:00 on the Rest Day. It will be realized on tyres used only on the following stage. Competitors may submit their tyres at the latest 2 hours after their arrival at the bivouac, according to the timing of CH Arrival. In case of overcrowding and / or unavailability of the Service Center, technicians on site are able to give priority according to the order of arrival.
For safety reasons, no tyre repair will be made. Technicians on site have the right to refuse fitting of tyres or foam if there is a risk to the user (different brands, unregistered sizes, ...). In all cases, the use of the tyre remains the responsibility of the driver and / or team and BFGoodrich and / or its service will not be accountable for damages related to its use during the event. Teams using screwed rims will have to unscrew and screw the rims themselves.