Shell has a long and successful history in top-level rallying which has seen Shell-supported teams claim many notable WRC victories as well as both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championship titles. Building on eight years of Global Partnership Agreement with the Hyundai Motor Company, the new relationship with Hyundai Motorsport heralds a dynamic new era for Shell.
“Shell is delighted to be returning to the WRC in 2014 with Hyundai Motorsport,” said Colin Abraham, Shell Vice President for Fuels and Lubricants Marketing. “Shell and Hyundai Motor Company have been working closely together to deliver a high quality product to customers around the world for more than eight years. We bring a genuine understanding of each other’s strengths to this exciting new team as the Hyundai I20 WRC prepares for its first competitive season.” He added.
The Hyundai I20 WRC will benefit from Shell’s experience and unrivalled research and development as it is put through some of the most demanding events in global motorsport. Shell scientists are already working with the technicians at Hyundai Motorsport on their requirements for Shell Helix Ultra engine lubricant and other products for use in competition, testing and development.
The expertise shared with Hyundai in the WRC benefits from Shell’s long-standing and successful technical partnerships in many other forms of motorsport. The FIA World Rally Championship is one of the most challenging motorsport competitions in the world, with roads ranging from ice and snow to asphalt or gravel and temperatures ranging from -30°C to +40°C, so engine demands are always at their highest. Shell Helix Ultra engine lubricant can help to protect the high-performance engines from power- and performance-robbing deposits through the course of each WRC event.
G.H.Choi, President of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, said “It is with great satisfaction that we welcome Shell as title partner of Hyundai Motorsport. Our two companies, Hyundai and Shell, have forged a mutually-successful partnership in recent years and we are pleased to have them as part of our young WRC programme as the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team. We look forward to sharing this exciting journey with Shell as we embark on our first season in the F.I.A. World Rally Championship together.”
Roger Moulding, Shell Vice President Global Customers, added “Hyundai has built a world-class team with the right resources not only to develop the Hyundai i20 WRC into a winning car, but to maximize the benefit that its rally programme brings to its customer product.”
Moulding continued: “That is the same ethos which Shell has brought to its long history in motorsport and which makes the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team an ideal complement to our existing motorsport activities.”