Shell trackside laboratory tour at the Indian Grand Prix 2013

Shell’s technical partnership with Ferrari is one of the most successful partnerships in Formula One history. Having contested more than half of all the Formula One races ever run, they have together amassed 12 Drivers’ Championships and 10 Constructors’ Championships.

This strong historical footing provides the basis for what is also one of the most forward-looking partnerships in contemporary motorsport. Shell’s Formula One project team continues to grow, with more than 50 Shell technical staff now contributing to the Shell Formula One programme with Ferrari. These team members work together around the world in Shell laboratories and facilities, at all the race tracks on the Grand Prix calendar and at the heart of Scuderia Ferrari at the Maranello headquarters.

Many of the Shell scientists who develop products for Scuderia Ferrari are also working on their road-going equivalents – ensuring that any technological advantage developed for Ferrari is passed directly through to the motorist. The most obvious examples of this are Shell V-Power fuel and Shell Helix Ultra engine oils – both of which owe a large part of their development to the Formula One programme.

Shell at the race

Shell provides Ferrari with a full analysis of fuel and oil samples at every race, using cutting-edge technology and expertise. Every time a Scuderia Ferrari car returns to the pits, the Shell engineers are on hand to take samples for the Shell Trackside Laboratory, located within the Ferrari compound in the Formula One paddock.

In the Track Lab, highly skilled Shell scientists conduct more than 70 tests per weekend on the Shell race products used in the cars with the aim of ensuring that the drivers will be able to get peak performance at all times. Test after test, race after race and season after season, Shell works with Ferrari exclusively to craft the best performing fuels and lubricants in Formula One.

Fuels

Formula One has some of the tightest regulations on fuel composition in the world of motorsport. The chemical and physical parameters are prescribed by the sport’s governing body, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), with the specific objective of making the development of racing fuels relevant to fuels used on the road.

All chemical ingredients are closely monitored, with specific power-boosting chemical compounds banned from use. In line with FIA regulations imposed on all teams, the Shell V-Power fuel used by Scuderia Ferrari contains 5.75% by weight of bio-oxygenate, for example. Once developed, a fuel is rigorously tested by Shell and Ferrari and then submitted to the FIA for approval. The FIA can take a sample of fuel at any time during a race weekend. If a sample taken by the FIA doesn’t match the pre-approved fuel profile, the team can ultimately be disqualified. Using a gas chromatography method, Shell engineers regularly analyse the fuel, taking extreme care to ensure that it remains legal and in prime condition during the race weekend. Working within FIA boundaries, Shell chemists still have scope to excel, and improve fuel in the constant battle to increase performance.

Lubricants

There are fewer regulatory restrictions on engine lubricants than there are on fuels. This gives Shell chemists and engineers more freedom to explore new formulations to get the most out of the Ferrari Formula One engine. Shell’s lubricant analysis in the Trackside Laboratory is a valuable addition to Scuderia Ferrari’s track-side activity, offering instantaneous information to help the team understand the condition of its engines. The RDE (rotating disc electrode) oil analyser – which uses a technique called optical emission spectroscopy (OES) – is an extremely sophisticated instrument that detects an increased concentration of wear metals in the oil and warns the team if there is excessive wear that needs to be addressed.

KERS

Scuderia Ferrari has decided to use a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) – optional since the 2012 season. KERS devices capture energy released by braking, store it and then use it to boost acceleration. This boost can be deployed by the driver in a burst of up to about 7 seconds in each lap. Shell is also involved with this relatively new technology, providing Scuderia Ferrari with a bespoke fluid that cools the KERS battery and prevents electrical charge escaping, and ensures high safety standards are maintained.