Melbourne, 25 March

Along with team principal Stefano Domenicali and the team’s chief engineers, Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella took part in a very special celebration this evening: a party for guests and media hosted by Shell, who wanted to celebrate the fact that this is the 450th race in which they have supported Scuderia Ferrari. The company marked the occasion by announcing that it was extending to the end of 2015, the technical collaboration that began over sixty years ago at the instigation of Enzo Ferrari. The new agreement underlines Shell’s desire to give its all to research and development aimed at racking up even more success. In a short speech, Stefano Domenicali underlined the unique relationship that binds the two companies. “It’s hard to imagine a more solid partnership. Renewing the contract demonstrates how much Ferrari believes in Shell’s abilities, in its attention to detail, when it comes to technical research and team work. It’s a company where it is the people who count and make the difference.” Then it was Felipe’s turn to point out how, in this season that has only just got underway, fuel consumption is more important than ever, while Fernando, fresh from a visit to the Shell facility in Thornton, said he was extremely impressed by the work carried out by its very strong technical team.