Andrea Iannone fuels excitement for the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix(TM)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The air was thick with excitement today at the Yazn Enterprise Shell retail station in KLIA where the Ducati Team made a unique appearance in the build-up to this weekend’s Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, 23 -25 October 2015. 

Celebrating the ongoing Technical Partnership that Shell and Ducati Corse enjoy, now into its 17th year, the event was a chance for the Ducati Club Malaysia members to meet Andrea Iannone and hear his thoughts before the penultimate round of the 2015 MotoGPTM season. 

“Shell is thrilled to be here today to welcome the Ducati team back to Malaysia for the MotoGP weekend. The Technical Partnership we enjoy with Ducati is pivotal to the development of Shell products for our customers’ bikes around the world. The MotoGP track is the ultimate test-bed for our products and takes us on a continual quest for technological innovation, which transfers across to our lubricants for the road. 

“The Technical Partnership with Ducati provides us with an environment to test our Shell V-Power fuels and Shell Advance Ultra oils in extreme conditions, providing our scientists with a better understanding of what will deliver improved power and performance. As motorcycle experts, Shell’s engineers and scientists know that when your bike is in peak condition it offers you a high degree of reliability and enhanced control, giving you an enjoyable ride at all times,” said Tuan Haji Azman Ismail, Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn. Bhd. and Shell Timur Sdn. Bhd.

In conjunction with the upcoming 2015 Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, Shell Advance has also launched its flagship product – Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology, which is now available in limited edition packs.

“The Shell Advance Ultra 10W-40 pack features the Malaysian Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup riders and also Malaysian Moto3 rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin, while the 15W-50 pack features the Ducati Corse MotoGP team. We believe that these stunning collections, which celebrate Shell’s long-standing involvement in the world of motorcycle racing, will be a hit with motorcyclists and motorsport fans,” commented Tuan Haji Azman.

The introduction of innovative new products on-track has been a feature of this season for Shell with the debut of a new Shell V-Power racing fuel formulation at the Grand Prix de France, Le Mans (17 May). Assen, Netherlands (27 June) saw the first use of Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology lubricant, made via Shell’s revolutionary process converting natural gas into crystal-clear base oil, by the Ducati MotoGP team; both contributing to the team’s most successful season in several years. 

Kick-starting with a live chat session, Iannone shared his personal experiences and aspirations for the race, as well as speaking about Shell and Ducati’s ongoing Technical Partnership; before surprising fans of the Ducati Club Malaysia when he autographed a bike at the event. 

Speaking at the event, Andrea Iannone commented, “We are thrilled to be back with our fans from Malaysia and being able to meet with them today was a pleasure. We look forward to racing at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend, which we hope will be a successful run for Ducati.”

“As we enter a 17th successive season of technical collaboration together, Ducati and Shell are working more closely than ever to get the best out of the Shell Advance lubricants and Shell V-Power fuels that power our Desmosedici GP15 machines. Having Shell alongside us is of vital importance both on and off the track, and we are looking forward to optimising it on the track over the weekend,” added Fabiano Sterlacchini, Ducati Technical Co-ordinator.

This strength in partnership is further complimented by Shell’s continued support of the MotoGP™ World Championship, with the public confirmation of the renewal of Shell’s title sponsorship of the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix for both 2015 and 2016.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

Shell In MotoGPTM

Shell’s Technical Partnership with Ducati Corse began in 1999 when Shell supported Ducati in the Superbike World ChampionshipTM. In 2003, the multiple title-winning collaboration began contesting the MotoGP World Championship together. The partnership has since gone on to become one of the strongest and most successful within the motorcycle world, having collected six World Superbike Riders’ Titles and nine Manufacturers’ Titles, along with a clean sweep of the MotoGP Riders’, Teams’ and Constructors’ World Championship titles in 2007.

In 2013, Shell extended its Technical Partnership to include Pramac Racing. This followed the announcement that the Pramac squad would become an official Ducati factory-supported team.

Shell’s involvement in premier class motorcycle racing has helped develop the Shell Advance lubricant and Shell V-Power fuel for the road, so that bikers all over the world can benefit from the cutting-edge technology developed on the track. The transfer of knowledge gained from the track to Shell’s products for the road, is central to the Technical Partnership with Ducati, as MotoGP provides the most extreme test bed for Shell’s products.

Scientists from Shell’s Technology Centre in Hamburg, Germany, regularly visit the Ducati factory in Bologna and are closely engaged with Ducati engineers to ensure that the Shell Advance race lubricants and Shell V-Power race fuels are optimised to power and protect the Ducati engines in MotoGP. A rigorous testing programme runs all year round, with samples from the races analysed back at the Shell laboratories to ensure constant development and performance. The fuels and lubricants developed must not only meet the sporting regulations, but match the exacting requirements of the Ducati MotoGP Team itself.

Shell Advance

Ducati Corse and its Technical Partner, Shell, undertake extensive and rigorous testing of the bespoke Shell Advance formulations to gain a detailed understanding of the Desmosedici GP15 engine’s frictional characteristics and lubrication requirements.  This enables the companies to develop the hardware and lubricant in order to achieve maximum benefit – unlocking valuable performance whilst maintaining durability.

Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology is the first-ever motorcycle oil made from natural gas using Shell proprietary gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology. Shell PurePlus Technology converts natural gas into crystal-clear base oil with virtually none of the impurities found in crude oil. This ultra-pure base oil is a key element of the lubricant used by the Ducati MotoGP team, a product that epitomises the ever-evolving Technical Partnership between Shell and Ducati and the continuous quest for superior performance.

Shell V-Power

Alongside the continued demands for greater power and performance, increased fuel economy has become a major requirement within MotoGP. Shell works with Ducati and employs a wide range of testing techniques to understand the fuelling demands and combustion characteristics of the Desmosedici engine and strives for the optimum balance between power and fuel economy.