Team Peugeot-Total secured victory in the seventh Silk Way Rally with Cyril Despres and David Castera in the Peugeot DKR #100. The team won 10 stages out of 13 for Peugeot. Stephane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret finished in fifth place.
Following Team Peugeot-Total’s triple success in the Dakar Rally in January, the Silk Way Rally promised to be an even sterner test to replicate such form. But it was also an opportunity to gauge the vehicle development and the support of Total lubricants in ensuring a robust overall engine performance.
The team had set out to provide evidence that their 2016 Silk Way victory was not by chance but born out of excellent preparation, skill and top motorsport engineering of the two-wheel drive Peugeot DKR. The three Peugeot DKRs set off from Moscow’s Red Square in Russia, passing through Kazakhstan to Xi’an, China covering a distance of 9333km.
The DKRs V6 twin turbo diesel engine was put to the test under extreme running conditions and difficult terrain. To ensure that the engine was running at an optimal and efficient level Total provided its high viscosity engine oil, Total Quartz Racing 10W50. The need for robustness requires the formulation of an extreme pressure lubricant (80W140) for the gearbox: the protection of the mobile assemblies must be guaranteed without penalising the power output.
Total has developed lubricants to keep costs down, reduce wear and provide ultimate protection for engine performance. Total and Peugeot Sport engineers are currently developing new lubricants for the next Dakar Rally in 2018.