Farrari 2011 Model

Farrari 2011 Model

Farrari 2011 Engine

In what can only be described as extraordinarily privileged access, CarAdvice was today been allowed an exclusive behind the scenes look at Ferrari’s pit garage at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Now before we start, I must begin with an apology, for although we were allowed to take cameras in to the garage, we were forbidden explicitly from publishing the images captured – and yes they were brilliant! It kills me that I can’t share them with you but unfortunately we must make do with those supplied to us from Shell.

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Our tour of the garage, predominantly highlighting Shell’s mobile track lab, was hosted by Dr Lisa Lilley, Shell’s Technology Manager to Ferrari.

So valued by Ferrari are Dr Lilley’s services that she is employed on a permanent basis at the Gestione Sportiva offices at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy, to coordinate and develop the fuel and lubrication requirements of the team, in conjunction with Ferrari engineers, to blend precise fuel, oil and coolant formulas that will in turn be used during the Formula One race season.

In fact, Ferrari value Shell’s fuel and lubricants so much that these precious liquids are considered as components of the engine and in turn Shell devotes a 50 person research and development team, based in both Britain and Germany, to the cause to continually develop these components in conjunction with the Prancing Horse over some 18,000 person-hours each off-season.

In addition to the European team, and a permanent laboratory in the Britain, Shell also provide Ferrari with a mobile Track Laboratory. This transportable analytical facility is staffed by three scientists from Shell – one for fuel, one for lubricants, and of course, Dr Lilley.

Technical formulation with Ferrari extends back six decades but began in earnest in 1996 with fuel specifically optimised and changed to meet the needs of strict new regulations such as the banning of sulphur and more recently, the 5.75 per cent (by weight) level of bio-oxygenate blend introduced in 1998.

The Track Lab travels with Ferrari to all race meetings outside the European Union with the sole purpose being to ensure the team’s fuel and lubrication needs are not only met, but enhanced and developed along the way so that as much information as possible is extracted and stored to again improve the recipe in the next off-season.

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