has lost both legs in an accident, but is still competing in the Rolex 24h race in Daytona. A centrifugal clutch from ZF supports his ambitions.

Technology

24 Hours of Daytona: Against all Odds

10 Min Reading Time

 Tags: Motorsport

Race driver Alex Zanardi has lost both legs in an accident, but is still competing in the Rolex 24h race in Daytona. A centrifugal clutch from ZF supports his ambitions.

Moritz Nöding, January 25, 2019

Moritz Nöding spends much of his time at international race tracks. He is working as Press Officer for motorsports at ZF and is in charge of internal and external motorsport communications for the company.

Alessandro Zanardi is a phenomenon - and living proof that there are no limits to tackling a challenge with passion and enthusiasm. 17 years ago, the former Formula 1 driver and two-time ChampCar champion lost both legs in an accident. But that was not the end of his career, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his life. Today he is not only successful in motorsport and as a para-athlete, but also idol and inspiration for people around the globe. Next weekend (January 26/27), Alex Zanardi will contest the 24-hours of Daytona (USA) in the BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE. For Zanardi this means the transition between very different challenges: from sprint to endurance races, from the BMW M4 DTM to the BMW M8 GTE and from racing alone to a shared start with teammates.

ZF centrifugal clutch provides full control

When Zanardi made his debut in the BMW M6 GT3 in 2016, the system was improved yet further. The clutch actuator was replaced by afully-automatic centrifugal clutch , which was developed by ZF, Premium Partner of BMW M Motorsport. This opens and closes automatically at a certain engine speed and needs no longer to be operated by the driver. For Zanardi, the system has the major benefit that he no longer needs to operate a clutch lever with one of his hands.

However, that is not the only reason that Zanardi is impressed by the centrifugal clutch: “It is astonishing how well this mechanism works. This clutch is extremely reliable. The wear is minimal and so there are fewer problems with this solution than with a standard clutch. Since we installed it in the car, it has done its job perfectly for us. When you set off again after the pit stop, it is impossible to stall the engine. Plus, it doesn’t matter whether the tyres are cold or warm. Whenever you set off, this clutch can manage the grip – probably better than a standard system.”