Keeping it clean and greasy

The Shell trackside laboratory moves along with Ferrari to every round of the Formula 1 season. Providing the team with analysis of fuel and oil samples at every race using cutting-edge technology, Shell’s technical partnership with Ferrari is one of the most successful partnerships in Formula One.

Shell in India recently organized a Shell trackside laboratory tour at the 2013 Indian Grand Prix with Shell Scientist and Technology Manager Guy Lovett. The activity was conducted to demonstrate the technology and innovation that goes into fuels and lubricants that Shell works exclusively with Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team to craft.

Throughout the race weekend, Shell scientists run tests on over 70 fuel and oil samples used by the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team to ensure that the drivers are able to get peak performance on the track.

Although by the admission of Lovett and the technicians working in the lab, the work they do also involves an element of ‘anti-doping’, for the cars that is.

Fernando Alonso himself has taken to Twitter – as he does so often – to tweet his displeasure at being woken up in the early hours of the day to provide a urine sample to the World Anti Doping Agency officials.

Due to the FIA coming under the International Olympic Committee, the athletes in their sanctioned events are subject to the same tests as any other athlete.

With the Spaniard’s scarlet Ferrari, however, things are a little different. Race fuel is carefully monitored to make sure that there is nothing ‘exotic’ in it – gone are the days of a Grand Prix car’s exhausts causing trackside spectators to fall sick – and to ensure that even the engine oil does its job of protecting the myriad of moving parts in an F1 engine.

Not exactly the sexiest role you can think of for someone at a Grand Prix, but then there is always so much more behind F1’s glamorous image.