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WINNING FORMULA

Shell's trackside and logistics manager Ian Albiston tells ALI KASIM fuel changes will not affect Ferrari's performance

1 What are the major changes in F1 that affect Shell in 2014?

There have been significant changes for this season, some of the biggest that F1 has experienced since its inception in the 1950s and they're all aimed at better energy efficiency.

Foremost for us is the change from the naturally aspirated 2.4-litre V8 engines to the more efficient 1.6-litre V6 that are coupled with substantial energy recovery systems.

The new power units have a very different appetite for fuel, which means we've had to develop a new suite of products for the Ferrari's campaign.

2 How much different are the old and new engines, with regard to fuel and oil consumption?

Basically, the new Shell V-Power race fuel has to be formulated to contain as much energy as possible, while also delivering maximum power.

The tricky part is that each driver will be limited to only five of the new power units for the season, a reduction from eight in 2013.

This, with the inclusion of the turbocharger, places a greater strain on the engine oil to provide protection without compromising performance. Compared to before, the required lifetime of each power unit is almost double.

3 Is the V-Power fuel completely different this season?

It's a very different fuel compared to last year.

The F1 rules dictate that the fuels we're using with Ferrari have to be very similar to those that are available to the everyday customer, which is great to be able to transfer that technology.

So, 99 per cent of the fuel Ferrari are using in F1 is what you're getting at the pump.

Of course, that one per cent still makes a difference.

4 What can we expect from Ferrari this year? Is it going to be very tough just to get the cars to the end of the race?

For this season, it's important to note that each driver is limited to just 100kg of fuel for each race.

This is 30 per cent less than what was typically used in 2013. Our objective is to maximise the energy content of the fuel and still provide optimum performance.

We've been working side by side with Ferrari since the project began. We have a common aim, and that is to win.