Shell's Trackside Laboratory - Accessible Version

The Shell Trackside Laboratory

Not only does Shell develop the fuel and oils for the Ferrari Formula One team, but the company also provides the racing team with a full analytical service at every race. In the Shell Track Lab, Shell scientists run constant tests on the fuel and oil in the Formula One cars to ensure that the drivers will be able to get the most performance out of them when they need it on the track.

A collection of Shell Products

Whatever the product analysed in the Shell Track Lab, you can be sure that its road derivative can be found in Shell service stations all over the world. Therein lies the fundamental reason for Shell's relationship with Ferrari. Using Formula One as a high-speed, high pressure test bed for its products, Shell can be sure that by the time its fuels, oils and greases reach the road they have been through, and survived, the harshest engineering test there is - Formula One.

Shell V-Power

Shell V-Power unleaded fuel is tailored to the exact requirements of the Ferrari engine - and further refined for the best performance on particular circuits. For example, it has been adapted for the long straights, tough curves and, of course, Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps- and for the slower corners in Monaco. This attention to detail on the racetrack helps Shell to produce the optimum Shell V-Power for improved performance on the road.

Shell fuel samples

By Thursday, the cars are prepared and ready to run, although there is no track action. Shell takes samples of the fuel from the cars, the carlotta (the machines that are used to transfer fuel in and out of the cars in the garage) and from the drums to ensure that the fuel is still in the prime condition in which it left Chester in the UK and that there has been no contamination. For the oil analyst, his job is to run 'base oil' samples from the car's engine and gearbox.

Shell Helix Ultra

Shell chemists modify Shell Helix Lubricant specifically to the engine, working hand-in-hand with Ferrari to ensure that it offers the best protection and performance throughout the race weekend. Shell Helix Ultra can even be blended to meet the demands of ambient temperature and the characteristics of individual circuits. The product available for the road is developed using the knowledge gathered in the most demanding environment for a car - Formula One.

A Shell Technician

Once the cars are on track, a fuel sample will be taken from each car or carlotta before it runs, once again to ensure that all is in order. After each run, Shell will take an oil sample from the cars and measure the wear metal in the sample, giving Ferrari an in-depth look at the condition of the engine. This is particularly important in light of the freeze on engine development introduced by FIA, plus the ongoing 'two race engine lifespan' regulation.

Shell Spirax

The 7-speed titanium Ferrari Formula One gearbox is a highly efficient feat of engineering, capable of changing gear in 3/1000ths of a second. The Formula One blend of Shell Spirax not only has to cope with high temperatures, but new regulations mean it must protect the gearbox as it runs for four consecutive race weekends. The product available for road use is based on its Formula One counterpart and is used in vehicles around the world.

A Shell technician taking an oil sample

Having run tests on the fuels and oils throughout the morning, the samples taken before the qualifying sessions are amongst the most important. The car will leave the garage with race fuel loads on board and Ferrari needs to be confident that the fuel is in optimum condition for the race. Equally, knowing the results of the oil analysis and the condition of the cars is important as it will give the team an indication of how hard it can push the engines during the race.

Shell Donax

Shell Donax clutch, brake and hydraulic fluids are all based on the system fluids used in the Ferrari Formula One car. Hydraulics play an ever increasing role in modern Formula One. From changing the gears to the small system that lifts the fuel flap open, Shell supplies Shell Donax products to Ferrari for this exact purpose.

The Shell Trackside Laboratory

Once the cars are in Parc Fermé, there is little more the teams can do to them. But Shell can still take fuel and oil samples from them, as well as samples from the fuel rigs, as a final fail-safe. If the FIA decides to randomly sample the fuel in a Ferrari car at the end of the race, Shell does the same, to ensure that the results are consistent. And, when the cars return from Parc Fermé, the oil is sent back to Shell UK for full analysis - the results of which are shared with Ferrari within days.

Shell Stamina

The Shell Stamina grease supplied to the team is again a bespoke product for the Formula One car. It is designed to suit the highly specialised bearings that Ferrari use. Just as any other lubricant, the grease has to protect the bearings and maintain the efficiency of the moving parts, but it is still very closely related to the Shell Stamina available for road cars.

As with all of Shell's motor racing experience, the direct benefit of the research and development is split two way. The first group to fell the direct advantage is the racing drivers who can use the latest, tailored Shell products in their racing cars. The second group to benefit is of course Shell customers.

All of the 50+ members of the Shell Formula One team share their experiences with their Shell colleagues in various departments ensuring that the learnings from Formula One are passed directly down through the company. These learnings can be of any nature, varying from more efficient logistics learnt from the seasons of delivering fuel and oil around the world to the scientists who blend the fuel for Ferrari one day and then work on the development of Shell V-Power the next.