Shell Lubricants' special Shell Gadus greases for Ferrari F2012

Shell's technical partnership with Ferrari has its roots in the Scuderia Ferrari racing team of the 1930s and today it is one of the most comprehensive collaborations in contemporary motorsport. Shell develops and supplies the team with V-Power fuel and Shell
Helix engine lubricant during the course of the Formula One season - but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

A specifically developed formulation of Shell Gadus grease has been developed for the Ferrari F2012. Designed to withstand the high workloads and high rotation speeds within the Formula One Ferrari's drivetrain it also reduces friction and minimises power loss.

"We trust Shell's greases to protect the moving parts of our most important and powerful racing cars - particularly in high - speed components which operate at incredibly high temperatures. Perhaps the best example of this is our Formula One car, the F2012, where we use Shell Gadus grease for the tripod driveshaft joints and also in the roller bearings where the driveshaft runs. Each bearing is precisely assembled before each Grand Prix and lubricated with a precise and surprisingly small amount of Shell Gadus. By working closely with Shell, the drivetrain grease is an element where we have found some small, but important gains," said Pat Fry, Scuderia Ferrari Technical Director.

"Ferrari requires mechanical moving parts to be light and perform at the highest levels whilst maintaining their integrity under extreme load and heat - this must all happen of course whilst minimizing any frictional power loss. One of the most effective ways for Ferrari to achieve these high targets is to work closely with us. The Shell Gadus greases Ferrari uses in the F1 car not only give quality but also benefit the development programme for Shell because it allows us to explore ways of reducing friction and increasing fuel efficiency for the future," said Dr. Cara Tredget, Shell Technology Manager for Ferrari.

Hydraulic fluid is another area where Shell works closely with Ferrari to develop the optimum product for the unique Formula One environment.

"To achieve the high performance we demand of our race cars the tolerances are extremely tight - if not tighter than aviation standards - and every single element of the car's performance is evaluated to perform at its maximum potential throughout its lifespan. We demand 100 per cent reliability and monitor every single component of the F2012 and the same is true of all the components in the machine tools we use in the Formula One factory, including the greases, oils and fluids. So you can see the Shell Tellus formulation is extremely important and it's fascinating to continually discover higher standards of effectiveness alongside Shell," added Pat Fry.

Not only is a tailored Shell Tellus fluid used for the Formula One car's hydraulic system, Ferrari uses Shell Tellus formulations in all of its manufacturing facilities' hydraulic systems in the factory.

"In the competitive world of Formula One time lost through maintenance of equipment can be extremely costly as it can directly affect the results on race track, so not only are we dedicated to maximising performance for Scuderia Ferrari's drivers at the race, but also for the Ferrari team based in the factory. Being able to develop this broad range of products in such a fast-moving and demanding test bed of the Ferrari programme is remarkable and we consistently transfer learnings to our products for consumers across the world," added Dr. Cara Tredget.

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