Ahead of the 2014 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, Scuderia Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen took to a different kind of track to learn how to drive student-built concept vehicles, including one that gets 488 miles per gallon.
With this year’s Formula OneTM regulation changes representing one of the biggest challenges faced in the sport since the Shell partnership with Scuderia Ferrari began in the 1930s, including a shift to smaller engines with less fuel, the focus on greater efficiency requires Formula One drivers explore smarter driving strategies to get best performance from their engines and their fuel.
The Scuderia Ferrari duo took to the demo track, only miles away from the Circuit of the Americas, following a briefing led by students from Louisiana Tech to showcase the initiative that challenges students from around the world to design, build and test ultra-energy efficient vehicles.
After jumping behind the wheel of the concept vehicles, Alonso and Räikkönen spent time with the students discussing Shell’s commitment to promoting the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the similarities between Shell Eco-marathon and Formula One racing, and how it inspires young engineers to push the boundaries of vehicle efficiency.
The Shell Eco-marathon team from Louisiana Tech will be tackling their own energy efficiency challenges when they take to the streets of Detroit where they hope to break another Shell Eco-marathon Americas record in the Motor City in April 2015.
The event showcased how Shell invests in the development of engineering for road cars and our energy future, just as it continues to invest in its Technical Partnership with Scuderia Ferrari to tackle the changing technical regulations in Formula One racing. This is particularly true in 2014, as teams and their technical partners work together to meet greater energy efficiency demands of the new sporting regulations.
