On the third weekend of April 2024, we finally ushered in the long-awaited F1 Shanghai Grand Prix of China. Back in 2019, it was five years ago, when it was the 1,000th Grand Prix in F1 history, and there were few people in the main stands on Friday.
This year, not only is it the 20th anniversary of the F1 Shanghai Grand Prix in China, but we also welcomed Chinese F1 driver Zhou Guanyu for the first time. There are many good things, and this young man from Shanghai finally echoed his home game.
And this year's Shanghai station is the first time this season that there will be a sprint race weekend, so every day is full of highlights, and finally Zhou Guanyu won the "Earth Group Champion" - 9th place in the sprint race. In the main race held on Sunday, Verstappen won for the first time in the last race, Norris continued his record of not winning on the podium, Bottas regretfully retired, and Zhou Guanyu's pit stop went wrong under the supervision of thousands of "tire change supervisors", and finally finished 14th.
But did you know that in addition to Zhou Guanyu, there are two other drivers who are inextricably linked to China, such as Piastri, who has 1/16 Chinese ancestry, and Albon of the Williams team, the "Chinese son-in-law", and his girlfriend is the famous Chinese golfer He Muni.
Coincidentally, McLaren Racing and Williams Racing have a common lubricant sponsor, which is the famous Gulf Oil. If you're a seasoned fan, you've seen the iconic orange and blue Gulf Oil livery.
Founded in 1901, GULF has brought four major business segments to China, including lubricants, gas stations, maintenance products and automotive films. In fact, Gulf Oil's love for the track dates back to the 1930s. During the "golden age" of motorsports from the 50s to the 70s of the 20th century, Gulf Oil partnered with legendary models such as the Ford GT40 and the Porsche 917, winning three world championships and three decisive victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Gulf Oil and McLaren forge a classic partnership. Since 1968, the partnership has led to Can-Am and Formula 1, where they have won more than 40 races. In 2020, Gulf Oil became a strategic partner, and Gulf Oil became McLaren's only officially designated oil. In 2021, the McLaren Racing F1 Team added an orange band to the light blue color based on Gulf Oil's classic livery, which appeared on the MCL35M prototype in Monaco and on the racing suits of drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, as well as the entire team's uniforms.
As a veteran powerhouse in Formula 1, Williams Racing has a long and glorious history of motorsports since it began to engage in motorsport in 1977, with 9 constructors' championships, 7 drivers' championships, and a total of 114 race wins.
Williams Racing is a highly regarded and iconic brand with a culture of passion and teamwork, which is a perfect fit for Gulf Oil's signature technology leadership in lubricants.
Gulf Oil became a strategic partner of Williams Racing, and in 2023 launched the Gulf Special Livery "Pioneer Dare", which drove this classic car to the Formula 1 races in Singapore, Qatar and Japan, with a striking orange and blue livery that became a classic bright color that cut through the track.
At the same time, Gulf Petroleum and Williams Racing have insight into lifestyle trends and jointly create branded products to bring sports and vitality to customers.
In the sought-after esports sector, Gulf Oil has teamed up with Williams Racing to invest in the future generation, and has developed Williams esports talent with 45 drivers in 18 countries, and the Gulf livery in F1 games has 70,000 players. With the support of 20 content creators and 185,000 unique viewers, Gulf is in full swing for the World Cup. Gulf has also made its mark in Williams series such as the iRacing PESC series, the Formula 1 Simulator Pro Championship, ESL Racing and more.
In 2024, Williams Racing Academy already has outstanding drivers such as Franco Colapinto, Luke Browning, Zak O'Sullivan, LiaBlock, Sara Matsui, Oleksandr Bodnarev, Alessandro Giusti and many more.
At the same time, on April 21, 2024, Chinese writer, racing athlete and director Han Han, as the brand ambassador of Gulf Oil, attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix hosted by Gulf. Sacha Davis, Vice President of Gulf International Marketing, Mr. Chen Qing, General Manager of China, and media friends also attended the event to enjoy the world-class summit event.
Han Han has won the championship of heavyweight events many times, becoming the only annual champion of both track and rally in the history of Chinese professional racing. GULF, which also has the same love and ultimate pursuit, has worked together with Han Han and the brand's strategic partner Williams Racing to jointly promote China's automobile culture to a new level.
At the opening ceremony of the game, the iconic orange and blue color scheme of the bay was filled with the atmosphere of the bay, and it opened in Shanghai, the "magic capital" full of fashion and modernity. Orange and blue, the iconic colour palette of the Gulf, represents the spirit of constant passion and innovation, and inspires fans around the world to be positive and optimistic about the adversity and opportunities that may arise in driving and life.
Han Han said that F1 started again in Shanghai after many years, and the Gulf reunited as an old friend, and the friends on the scene wore Gulf element costumes, and every time they saw the Gulf color scheme, they felt very cordial. He shared that his love and long-term dedication and persistence are important reasons for his ability to participate in competitions all the time. When you are a newcomer to motorsports, it is the first step to make sure that you are suitable for yourself, and if you are good at it, you can work hard. Subsequently, Han Han and the guests had a racing game PK to feel the speed and passion.
In terms of civil product lines, Gulf has formed a full range of product matrix, including Gulf Kaitu, Gulf Shuntu, Gulf Changtu, Gulf Tantu, Gulf Maitu, etc., to meet the needs of global customers for car maintenance.
Gulf Kaito, a high-performance automotive lubricant for the Gulf, has become the only officially designated oil for McLaren, but it has never stopped innovating and making breakthroughs, and has recently launched a new fully synthetic product Gulf "Tantu" with sulfonate purifying molecule + dispersion molecular technology formula, which effectively prevents carbon deposition, resists oil sludge and reduces deposition, makes the engine clean and refreshed all the time, greatly improves fuel economy and noise reduction experience, and significantly extends the service life of the engine.
Han Han has been able to switch between many roles as a writer, racing driver, film director, and has not been afraid of the transformation and challenges of various industries, from passenger cars, motorcycles, commercial transportation, construction, mining and steel, agriculture to industrial manufacturing and shipping, and has always accompanied global customers with excellent quality. Today, Gulf also provides exclusive oil solutions for new energy vehicles.
Time flies, on the road of Han Han's gallop, Gulf Oil, which has been in the past century, will go on a journey with him, stage a new story of "orange and blue blooming together", and work together to promote China's automobile culture to open a new chapter.