www.shell.com/ferrari

AUSTRALIA Melbourne Race Briefing

Hello Lionel Welcome to the start of 2011’s eagerly awaited Formula One season. As always Shell has been working shoulder to shoulder with Scuderia Ferrari during the winter break, helping to prepare the team for the season ahead. The first race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. The paddock in Melbourne is always buzzing with excitement and is usually crowded with famous faces. The circuit exudes history and class. The main grandstands are all named after racing greats, from Schumacher to Fangio, Brabham to Prost and it still fascinating that there are no traditional long straights on the course. Albert Park was opened for Formula One business in 1996 and as such was the first track to encompass a body of water – something that has now become more fashionable at circuits such as Valencia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. There’s something really uplifting about starting the season off in Melbourne. Rumour has it that it’s a relatively easy circuit to drive, but we are still in awe of the drivers completing the 58-lap Grand Prix!

Over the race weekend Cara Tredget, Gareth Lowe and Lucy Taylor will be in the Shell Trackside Laboratory to carry out over 30 tests on the Shell V-Power fuel and 40 tests on the Shell Helix Ultra lubricant being used in the Scuderia Ferrari cars. Shell’s work at the track is a demonstration of the research and development facilitated by the technical partnership with Scuderia Ferrari - the learnings from which we transfer to products for road cars. Like last year, Inside Track will bring with it an exclusive podcast from Shell’s technical team. This edition is from Cara Tredget, Shell’s new Technology Manager for Ferrari. Cara’s exclusive preview of the Australian Grand Prix is available now – check it out below!