Felipe Massa won the Bahrain Grand Prix in April, in a Shell-sponsored Ferrari.

Describing the relationship between Ferrari and Shell that has been built up since Shell’s sponsorship of Ferrari began in 1996, a Shell spokesman on the circuit said, “It’s much more than a relationship between Ferrari and Shell, it’s a close partnership. In fact, we have a team of Shell experts on the circuit who are now indistinguishable from the rest of the Ferrari team, certainly in terms of a mutual desire to win.”

Apart from sponsoring Ferrari over the years, the racing cars are fuelled and lubricated by Shell and Shell has an office at Ferrari’s Marinello plant in Italy which is open for use by all members of the Ferrari team to provide support and advice for Ferrari’s test programme. Furthermore, Shell Helix is recommended as the preferred lubricant to use for all owners of new Ferraris leaving the factory.