Extensive partnership: BMW Motorsport and Shell race together in the DTM, USCC and the “Green Hell”.

Munich (DE), 16th February 2015. A strong partner for the new season: when BMW Motorsport races in the DTM, the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) and the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE) in 2015, it will be joined by Shell as its new Premium Technology Partner.

From 2015, Shell is also the only “recommended supplier of genuine BMW engine oil” and “BMW’s only recommended oil supplier for aftermarket engine oils”. This exclusive cooperation is now being extended to the racetrack, where the teams will race on Shell Helix Ultra and Pennzoil Platinum engine oils. All these engine oils are made from natural gas which enables them to deliver enhanced engine protection and performance for both BMW road and race cars.

The Shell Helix Ultra logo will appear on all eight BMW M4 DTMs race cars, as well as on the team apparel and drivers’ helmets and overalls. Shell Helix Ultra is one of a series of premium engine oils based on the unique Shell PurePlus Technology – a revolutionary gas-to-liquid (GTL) process that converts natural gas into a crystal-clear base oil, the main component of oils, with virtually none of the impurities found in crude oil. When this technology is combined with a selection of high performance additives it actively protects the engine and keeps it clean. The Shell BMW M4 DTM race car will also bear the company’s striking red and yellow design.

BMW Motorsport engineers will also work alongside Shell scientists to develop high-performance oils for use in BMW Motorsport race cars. This development will be on-going during testing and the course of each respective race season.  It will focus on sequential improvements of performance factors such as reducing friction and wear.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt commented on the latest exciting developments: “Everyone at BMW Motorsport is delighted that we can count on the support of Shell in the future, both in the DTM and the USCC, as well as the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Shell Helix Ultra and Pennzoil Platinum are high-performance brands, which are perfectly suited to our motorsport projects. We are putting our faith in these high-performance lubricants, and hope that the new partnership will allow us to lay the foundation for great success together on the racetrack.”

Speaking on the news Mark Gainsborough, the Shell Lubricant Executive Vice President, said: “Shell has a passion for all things in motorsport as demonstrated by our long standing involvement in the international motorsport arena. We are excited to be expanding this involvement as BMW Motorsport’s partner, in addition to being BMW’s recommended supplier of aftermarket engine oils. The partnership with BMW Motorsport highlights the significant contribution that our oils especially our Shell Helix Ultra and Pennzoil Platinum engine oil brands can make to the performance of the BMW race cars. We look forward to working alongside the BMW Motorsport team to develop and deliver products to maximise drive train performance of the BMW race car fleet. This collaboration will enable both companies to push the boundaries of both motor oil and engine development hopefully for the ultimate benefit of the everyday road car driver.”

BMW Motorsport will also use Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology in GT and endurance racing. This premium product can significantly help improve the performance and life cycle of the drive train. These properties are essential, particularly at the toughest racetrack in the world – the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE). For this reason, Shell will also support the BMW Motorsport works teams at the 24-hour marathon in the “Green Hell”: the BMW Z4 GT3s will also bear the Shell Helix Ultra logo.

BMW Motorsport enters its second season in the USCC in North America, where, together with its new Premium Partner Shell, it is looking to add another chapter to its success story. From 2015, the two BMW Z4 GTLMs run by BMW Team RLL will line up on the grid bearing the name Pennzoil Platinum – a further Shell engine oil made from PurePlus Technology.

About Shell Lubricants:
The term “Shell Lubricants” collectively refers to Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. Shell sells a wide variety of lubricants to meet customer needs across a range of applications. These include consumer motoring, heavy-duty transport, mining, power generation and general engineering. Shell’s portfolio of lubricant brands includes Pennzoil, Quaker State, Shell Helix, Shell Rotella, Shell Tellus and Shell Rimula.  We are active across the full lubricant supply chain. We manufacture base oils in eight plants, blend base oils with additives to make lubricants in over 50 plants, distribute, market and sell lubricants in over 100 countries.

We also provide technical and business support to customers. We offer lubricant-related services in addition to our product range.  These include: Shell LubeMatch –the market leading product on-line recommendation tool, Shell LubeAdvisor - helps customers to select the right lubricant through highly trained Shell technical staff as well as online tools, and Shell LubeAnalyst - an early warning system that enables customers to monitor the condition of their equipment and lubricant, helping to save money on maintenance and avoid potential lost business through equipment failure.

Shell’s world-class technology works to deliver value to our customers.  Innovation, product application and technical collaboration are at the heart of Shell lubricants. We have leading lubricants research centres in China, Germany, Japan (in a joint venture with Showa Shell), and the USA.  We invest significantly in technology and work closely with our customers to develop innovative lubricants. We have a patent portfolio with 150 + patent series for lubricants, base oils and greases; more than 200 scientists and lubricants engineers dedicated to lubricants research and development.

Customer benefits include lower maintenance costs, longer equipment life and reduced energy consumption. One of the ways we push the boundaries of lubricant technology is by working closely with top motor racing teams such as Scuderia Ferrari. These technical partnerships enable us to expand our knowledge of lubrication science and transfer cutting-edge technology from the racetrack to our commercial products.

Royal Dutch Shell plc

Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges.  Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. For further information, visit www.shell.com.

Press contact: Jörg Kottmeier, Phone: +49 (0) 170 566 6112, joerg.kottmeier@bmw.de
Ingo Lehbrink, Phone: +49 (0) 176 203 40224, ingo.lehbrink@bmw.de

Shell Global Media Relations: +44 207 934 5550

Shell Lubricants Global: Mary B. Walsh, +32 2508 9587, mary.walsh@shell.com 

You can find the latest BMW Motorsport media information and copyright-free images for editorial purposes online at: www.press.bmwgroup-sport.com