Renewed one of the most iconic partnerships in motorcycling
March 22, 2023
Ducati e Shell have announced the multi-year extension of their Technical Partnership with the official Ducati Corse teams until 2027. The technical collaboration between Ducati Corse and Shell has achieved great successes on the track, including the most recent one last season, which saw Ducati win the Constructors’ and Riders’ world title with Francesco Bagnaia in MotoGP and Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista in WorldSBK.
The partnership with Ducati, originally started in 1999 in the FIM Superbike World Championship, reaches 24 years of collaboration, while there are 20 in the FIM MotoGP World Championship, where the Italian team has been present since 2003.
Today, Ducati Corse’s Desmosedici GP and Panigale V4 R use a special formulation of Shell V-Power fuel and a custom blend of Shell Advance engine oil with Shell PurePlus technology. Designed to withstand the extreme rigors of the most prestigious racing circuits, Shell Advance is formulated to help achieve maximum performance while maintaining the reliability of the V4 four-stroke engine throughout the duration of a racing season.
As part of the renewal of the partnership, Ducati and Shell will continue to work side by side to prepare for a new era of MotoGP. which will adopt more sustainable fuels starting from 2024. The development of these fuels, which will have to be 40% of non-fossil origin starting from 2024 and then focus to the ambitious 100% by 2027, it will be an important area of focus for the Ducati and Shell teams. In addition, the two companies will continue to explore ways in which their collaboration could aid the development of electric motorcycle drivetrains for future use both on and off the track.
Throughout this 24-year partnership, learnings and innovations from the track have been used to develop better road-ready products for the needs of Shell customers around the world. In fact, the relationship also extends to Ducati road bikes, with new formulations of Shell Advance developed and tested for road use.
Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Sporting Director:
“It is a source of great satisfaction for us to be able to announce the extension of the multi-year agreement between Ducati and Shell until 2027. Last year was the most successful season for Ducati Corse since our partnership began in 1999. Technique with Shell in the fuels and lubricants industry, and we are delighted to be entering a third decade of partnership with them. It is also thanks to the fundamental contribution of technically advanced partners such as Shell that Ducati is able to achieve success in such technically demanding championships as MotoGP and WorldSBK, where every little detail of performance counts. Thanks to their strong support, we are confident that we can continue to achieve excellent results in the future as well.”
Sabrina Qu, Vice President Global Lubricants Marketing at Shell:
“The extension of our technical partnership with Ducati until 2027 demonstrates our commitment to the Ducati Corse team in providing them with technical support as MotoGP moves towards a more sustainable future. our technology, which provides Shell with valuable insights into the performance of our products, while allowing us to test formulations in line with both Shell’s and Ducati’s future sustainability ambitions.This, in turn, will continue to benefit Shell customers Advance and Ducati from all over the world, both on the track and on the road, as the Technical Partnership continues to develop”.
