The arrival on track last week of the new 2006 Ferrari 248 F1 Grand Prix machine marked the culmination of an intense development period in which Shell played a pivotal role. At the new car's heart is an all-new Formula One V8 engine that is central to the team's hopes for another World Championship title this year.

The new Ferrari V8 engine was developed and built in record time. Sweeping technical rule changes announced by the FIA last spring spelled the end of the V10 era. While still allowed with rev-limits, the 3.0-litre V10 gives way this year to a new crop of V8 engines limited to 2.4-litres in displacement. Since May 2005 when the Ferrari development programme began, Shell engineers have worked alongside Ferrari to bring the Scuderia's new engine into fruition. "This is the biggest technical change since we renewed our partnership with Ferrari in 1996," said Mike Copson of Shell Global Solutions, who works alongside a team of 40 engineers, chemists and technicians from Shell supporting Ferrari. "We've been working hand-in-hand with Ferrari since the beginning to ensure that the design is optimised for performance and reliability."

Through the development, Shell engineers have gained a deep understanding of the characteristics of the new V8 engine. The engine format is inherently different from the V10s in terms of breathing characteristics, fuel economy, lubrication demands and harmonics. "It's not just a matter of scaling down a V10," Copson said. 'It's an entirely new engine with a whole new set of limitations and opportunities to explore. Understanding how it performs from the beginning is vital in terms of the properties of our fuel formulation, for example."

A key technical partner of Ferrari since 1996, Shell's experienced motorsport team was well attuned to Ferrari's uncompromising approach to development of the new engine and the new 248 F1 car. 
 

In its 10 years through from 2005, the partnership witnessed one of Ferrari's most successful periods in its long Formula One history, as well as one of the best reliability records in the sport. The 248 F1 and new V8 engine programme required technological innovation not only from Maranello but from Shell, as well. Shell's team worked hard with Ferrari to create the lubrication strategy not only for the engine but for the gearbox, as well. "We didn't just focus on the engine,' Copson said. 'Instead, it was a systems approach that was intended to maximise the synergies of the car's systems while minimising system (power) losses. Small details down to optimising operating temperatures played a role in the development process."

As the season opener approaches, the full effects of the 2006 rule changes are yet to be seen, but are the topic of much speculation. With 20 percent less displacement, pundits wonder whether this year's Formula One cars will have 20 percent lower horsepower, or whether some teams will be successful in liberating more power from their new V8 engines. The impact of the new rules on fuel economy and pit stop strategy is another major tactical consideration for 2006. Reliability will continue to be an important factor, as the FIA has kept in place its one-engine-for-two-races rule.

As Shell begins the second decade of its current partnership with Ferrari, Shell has not yet revealed the formulations of Shell V-Power fuel, Shell Helix oil and Shell Spirax gear lubes which will be supplied to the team as the season begins in Bahrain in March. Both partners are hoping to extend their enviable string of performance and reliability as this new era of Formula One competition begins.