ALONSO
When the Formula One race arrives in the street circuit of Singapore this weekend, the Ferrari-Shell partnership marks the new milestone of racing for the 500th time.
The collaboration, which is regarded as the longest and most successful partnership in Formula One, has brought more than a few successes along the way—12 drivers’ championships, 10 constructors’ crowns and over 160 race victories.
Ferrari and Shell have been partners for almost as long as the history of car racing. Shell first began collaborating with Enzo Ferrari (the Ferrari company founder) in 1929 by supplying fuel and lubricants to the team.
From this foundation, Shell was the obvious choice when Ferrari established the legendary road cars manufacturing company Ferrari S.p.A in 1947. When the very first Ferrari—the 125 S—drove out of the factory gates in Maranello, Italy, it was already powered and protected by Shell.
Shell has commissioned a special film to mark the 500th race anniversary. Tomorrow, a four-minute film will be shown in Singapore, which features interviews with Luca Di Montezemolo, Stefano Domenicali, Luca Marmorini, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, John Surtees and the first man ever to win a Formula One race for Scuderia Ferrari, José Froilan Gonzalez.
It will also be an exciting day for the international motoring media as Shell presents Scuderia Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso in a briefing that starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Pan Pacific Hotel Ballroom in Raffles Boulevard (the motoring media will be invited to watch Alonso drive Shell’s Professional Simulator as well as interview him ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix). They will also enjoy the Shell Professional Simulator Experience with special coaching from Shell’s engineers.
Throughout the race weekend in Singapore, Ferrari will run with a special 500 races livery on the front and rear wing of the F2012 (Formula One racing car designed by Scuderia Ferrari for the 2012 Formula One season).
Moreover, a Ferrari F458 Challenge has been specially branded with the same logo and will be driven by Scuderia Ferrari test driver Marc Gené in the supporting Ferrari Challenge race.
On Saturday, Shell’s Downstream director Mark Williams will present to Scuderia Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali, Alonso and Felipe Massa a specially commissioned painting by renowned motorsport artist Michael Turner. The art, which will be presented at the pit lanes at 5:30 p.m., depicts the historic nature of the Shell-Ferrari partnership.
As it now stands, Ferrari’s F1 cars are used as the ultimate test bed for developing Shell’s V-Power racing fuel including the lubricants used in the engine and transmission. These cars are also utilized to evaluate and speed up the developments of products that power and lubricate road-going vehicles.