Bahrain GP: Shell technical briefing

DESERT DUST NEW CHALLENGE FOR TEAMS

Engine Lubricant
*An increased challenge to engine life here will be the ever-present sand in the air*

*The Ferrari engine survived the first big test of the year - that of running two race weekends without failure. Shell's engine oil analysis after the Malaysian race showed increased signs of wear, but nothing that hadn't been predicted in pre-season testing

*New engines all-round then for the two Ferrari cars in Bahrain, a welcome dose of fresh equipment for the team as the engines that endured such a workout in Malaysia have been returned to Maranello and stripped for further analysis

*Ferrari will continue to experiment with its engine oil portfolio in Bahrain this weekend, particularly if the temperatures rise above average as they did in Malaysia

Mike Copson, Shell Formula One Technical Manager:

"Temperatures are set in the high-20s at the moment, but can rise up to the mid-30s causing a sizable change in engine performance and wear. With the notorious engine-breaker of Imola next, caution is still the key word."

Fuel
*Shell V-Power ULG59/L5 will be retained in Bahrain as it performed well in the heat of Malaysia and looks well suited to these adverse conditions

Technical note: Radiators and air filters
*The atmosphere in Bahrain contains very fine particles of sand, much finer those than found on the average beach. This gets everywhere! This fine dust can block radiators and makes the the air filtration system work hard.

Therefore extra vigilance is required to ensure that engine temperatures do not rise significantly during the race and air filters are changed regularly during the weekend.

-shell-