文/Bonnie
Editor/Zhang Cheng
The green flag waved, five red lights lit up, the deafening roar of the engine, and the audience sent a tsunami-like cry from the mountain.
This is the most exciting moment of the F1 Chinese Grand Prix. With the blessing of speed and passion, love and professionalism, Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen crossed the finish line first and won the F1 Chinese Grand Prix for the first time in his career, becoming the double champion of the sprint race and the main race.
As an international motorsport event, cars race around the track at breakneck speeds, and fans gather to wave flags and cheer on their favorite drivers.
At the same time, the race is also brightened by the colourful car-related elements arranged around the track.
Formula 1 Grand Prix has always been not only a celebration of speed and passion, but also a perfect combination of racing culture and urban culture.
Returning to Shanghai after five years, from April 19th to 21st, during the F1 Chinese Grand Prix, the streets and alleys of Shanghai were surrounded by a racing atmosphere.
On the North Bund Century Frame Plaza, a giant helmet art installation attracted an endless stream of young people who rushed to take photos and check in with him.
Helmets play a vital role in motorsport, not only for the safety of the driver, but also for the personality and style of the driver, and to become an integral part of the racing culture.
Therefore, the helmet not only represents the professionalism of motorsport, but also embodies the artistry and fashion sense of motorsport.
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This is one of the events that Mobil 1 has created to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary, both on and off the track, and is an important part of conveying the unrivalled appeal of motorsport to consumers.
A feast of speed and furious
In 2004, the first F1 Chinese Grand Prix was held in Shanghai, and since then, a new chapter has been opened for Chinese motorsport.
As one of the world's top three sporting events, F1's global influence is the "traffic code" that shapes the city's brand. At the same time, this year is also the 20th birthday of the F1 Chinese Grand Prix, and the whole of Shanghai seems to have entered the "F1 state".
Therefore, before the Grand Prix began, the Shanghai Sports Museum specially launched the "Twenty Years of Burning Track" F1 Chinese Grand Prix theme exhibition, which warmed up for the sprint and reviewed the growth footprint of the F1 Chinese Grand Prix in the past 20 years.
During the event, racing enthusiasts in Shanghai not only enjoyed the visual feast brought by the F1 Chinese Grand Prix, but also experienced a number of activities that combined "racing culture" with "trend" and "music", including the FIA Formula E World Championship Shanghai, the "Dream Jia" theme park, and the checkered flag music carnival.
Among the many racing elements, the large-scale art installation inspired by the classic racing element - helmet in the Century Frame Plaza on the North Bund has become the focus of attention.
During the day, this large-scale art installation attracts the attention of tourists and photography enthusiasts due to its unique design, and has become a hot topic on social media.
People have taken photos with this giant helmet and shared it on their own social platforms such as Moments, Weibo, etc., so that more people can feel the artistic atmosphere and the charm of racing culture in the North Bund Century Frame Plaza through their lenses.
At night, the "magic capital" Shanghai is lit up, and with the giant screen embedded in the helmet, it gives the helmet a sense of infinite technology.
In addition to the giant helmet installation on the North Bund, Mobil 1, as the official partner of Formula 1 China, also created an exclusive booth in the racetrack, allowing many fans to experience the driving experience of an F1 driver, including interactive experience activities such as "Racing Simulator" and "Reaction Challenge".
As a high-tech simulation device, "Racing Simulator" can simulate the real racing driving environment, including the track, vehicle dynamics, weather conditions, etc. The simulator allows participants to experience what it's like to drive a Formula 1 car in a safe environment, while the Reaction Challenge is an interactive test game that tests and improves participants' reflexes and agility.
A series of "real" experiences not only give racing enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the racing culture up close, but also allow them to improve their driving skills and reflexes in a simulated environment.
Mobil 1 and F1 are a match made in heaven
The reason why Formula 1 motorsport has such a huge influence is due to its attention as one of the three major sporting events in the world, and on the other hand, it is also the most high-tech motorsport today, representing the most cutting-edge level of technology in the automotive industry.
Therefore, F1 is not only a sports competition, but also a contest of technology and innovation, and every car is the crystallization of high technology.
In Formula 1, every part of the car counts, especially the engine. Under current engine technology rules, every F1 car is powered by a 1.6-litre V6 hybrid engine with a turbo engine that can reach a maximum temperature of 950 degrees Celsius and a speed of up to 125,000 rpm. On top of that, in the increasingly long Formula 1 season, each car can only use four engines per year.
This means that each engine must maintain efficient and consistent performance under extreme operating conditions to ensure that the car performs at its best throughout the season.
In this case, the role of lubricating oil becomes crucial. As a result, F1 has always been known as "one of the best testing grounds for lubrication technology".
In 1979, just five years after its founding, Mobil 1 stepped onto F1.
Thanks to its superior performance, Mobil 1 partnered with the F1 Williams Ford team to quickly boost its engine power by 2 percent --- about 10 hp.
Motorsports can often be the difference between minutes and seconds. A 2% increase in performance is an unattainable lead.
During its 10-year partnership with Williams Racing from 1979 to 1988, Mobil 1 helped the team win 29 major races, three Constructors' Championships and two Drivers' Championships. In the decades that followed, Mobil 1 partnered with Benetton Racing and McLaren to create a series of track legends.
In 2017, Mobil 1 became the official lubricant partner of Red Bull Racing, providing the team with high-performance lubricants and technical support to help drivers get on the field.
As mentioned earlier, in Formula 1, the engine is put to the test, and under such extreme conditions, Mobil 1 lubricants can effectively lubricate more than 4,000 moving parts in the Red Bull Racing engine, improving the reliability of the Red Bull Racing Car and helping it to maintain more lasting power.
Since 2019, Honda has become the new engine supplier to Red Bull Racing. Since then, the Mobil 1 global R&D team has worked with Honda and Red Bull to upgrade the product: a new lubricant formulation and a Mobil 1 lubricant designed specifically for Honda power units to maintain consistent performance levels and withstand extreme temperatures and pressures, while also meeting the higher requirements of Honda power units for high temperatures and reduced deposits.
It is understood that in order to achieve a breakthrough in product performance, the Mobil 1 team evaluated many non-traditional lubricant ingredients in the research and development process, such as those used in the cosmetics industry. Thanks to the new formulation, the upgraded Mobil 1 lubricant can enhance the strength of the oil film on the surface of metal parts, providing lubrication protection to the engine at high temperatures, helping to maintain maximum efficiency and long-lasting power in extreme environments.
Thanks to continuous technological innovation and performance improvements, Mobil 1 has helped Red Bull Racing and drivers win 65 race wins, three Drivers' Championships and two Constructors' Championships in just a few years.
In 2024, coinciding with the brand's 50th anniversary, Mobil 1 held its 50th anniversary on April 17, as the 2024 F1 China Grand Prix.
A number of iconic photographs and models of the car were used to retrace the brand's history and achievements on the track, and Verstappen's regular and special helmet models were collected to form a spectacular helmet wall.
To celebrate this milestone and to recognise the brand, driver Verstappen was on hand to share his experience with Mobil 1's innovative lubrication technology.
Zhao Jie, Deputy General Manager of ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co., Ltd., North Asia Marketing Department, said at the event: "Since the launch of the Mobil 1 brand 50 years ago, we have always adhered to the principle of 'constantly innovating technology to create better products'. ”
To this end, she said, Mobil 1 has continuously improved and upgraded its product performance through in-depth participation in various top-level racing events, as well as working closely with major global automakers, through hundreds of millions of R&D investment. Excellence in Formula 1 has helped Mobil 1 grow from an unrecognized innovation to a globally trusted benchmark for high-performance products, particularly in the Chinese market, and to lead the development of fully synthetic lubricants.
Keep pace with the times and continue to innovate and break through
Mobil 1, which provides high-performance engine lubricants and technical support for racing cars, has helped race cars speed on the track and has made countless legends.
These technologies and products are not only crucial in the field of racing, but also for civilian vehicles, and can gradually meet consumers' needs for vehicle performance, safety, environmental protection and economy.
With this in mind, Mobil 1 brings these proven innovations on the track to the road, leading the way in the development of consumer lubricants and continuously improving product performance, which is being used by more and more car manufacturers.
In 1996, Porsche officially selected Mobil 1 as its original bottling oil and the world's only aftermarket oil, which continues to this day. According to statistics, nearly 1.5 million Porsche units are injected with Mobil 1 high-performance products when they leave the factory.
In addition, Mobil 1 has been selected for the original filling oil of many well-known domestic and foreign models, including Aston Martin and Bentley.
At the 50th anniversary event, Zhao Jie mentioned that at present, emission standards and the iteration of engine technology are the two major factors that will affect the future breakthrough in lubricant technology research and development. "To put it simply, we see three major trends in the future of lubricant products: low viscosity, low fuel consumption, and high performance. ”
To this end, on the occasion of the brand's 50th anniversary, Mobil 1 has taken a step further and launched a new ultra-low viscosity lubricant product, Mobil 1 Energy Performance 0W-8 and 0W-16, further pushing the technical boundaries of low viscosity products.
At the same time, the new ultra-low viscosity products Mobil 1 Energy Performance 0W-8 and 0W-16 will be PCR packaging (packaging made of recycled plastic) for the first time, which is also the first automotive lubricant product in China to obtain the "Green Recycled Plastic Chain of Custody" certification.
At this stage, the Mobil 1 "Family" has three major product lines, including the Mobil 1 Performance Series, the Classic Performance Series, and the Customized Performance Series, providing consumers with more diversified and more subdivided product choices.
Looking forward to the future, as Zhao Jie said at the 50th anniversary event, "We will also take today as a new starting point to continue to pursue breakthroughs." In the future, Mobil 1 will continue to keep up with the needs of the market and consumers, focus on R&D and innovation, and benefit Chinese consumers with higher performance products and high-quality services, and contribute to the development of China's automotive industry. ”