Close to 200 fans score exclusive meeting with Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc at MBS by pumping Shell V-Power

Yardbird Southern Table and Bar at Marina Bay Sands was painted red on Oct. 2, just before the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

Around 50 lucky fans from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia had gathered at the restaurant, while around 140 fans joined online, brimming with excitement to meet their favourite Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

These lucky customers, who were loyal Shell V-Power users and Shell GO+ members, had been chosen to attend this exclusive, money-can't-buy experience on a Thursday afternoon at Shell’s Beyond the Track event.

For mother-and-daughter pair Joanne Fang, 43, and Emma Grace, 14, this event proved to be an exciting family bonding experience.

Joanne has been a fan of Hamilton for a decade (and still counting) while Emma is a fan of Leclerc. To meet both of them on home soil prior to their race on the duo’s favourite track meant a lot to them.

In an effort to increase their chances to attend this exclusive event, Joanne chose to pump Shell V-Power for up to six times in the month of August. When she received the invite in her email inbox, she told her daughter, who was so ecstatic she nearly burst into tears.

Up close and personal with Hamilton and Leclerc at the meet-and-greet

Filled with Shell-themed drinks and Yardbird’s signature offerings, the meet-and-greet commenced with members of the crowd taking part in a Chapteh challenge to test their agility and ability to react quickly and a 10-question trivia game to see how well they know the drivers.

Meanwhile, a sizable crowd formed outside the restaurant, all for a glimpse of the two drivers.

Fans shrieked as Leclerc walked in.

“It’s an incredible track. The challenge is absolutely amazing,” Leclerc said about the Marina Bay Street Circuit. “You need to be super precise.”

A fan who attended the meet-and-greet virtually, Shuai Lu, also asked Leclerc what has inspired him while racing.

“Every time I see a kid…[their eyes] never lie…I think when they see me, it’s always beautiful to see how much it means to them and how happy they are,” Leclerc replied.

He recognises himself in these kids, as he grew up dreaming of being a Formula 1 driver himself.

“When the kids look at you the way you used to look at those Formula 1 drivers, it’s always very, very special,” he said, counting himself to be “very lucky” to be in the position he’s in now.

Hamilton also walked in to rambunctious cheers.

In a similar vein, Hamilton was asked by Jeffrey Sung, a fan who attended the event with his daughter Elizabeth, to share lessons learnt from his Formula 1 journey and words of encouragement to young people in Singapore on chasing their dreams.

Considering himself to be “very fortunate to do what [he] does”, Hamilton said that believing in oneself was what gave him the strength to persevere.

“You have to believe in yourself. No one is going to do it for you.”

“It’s okay to have more than one dream, and you’ve just got to chase it. It depends on how much you want it, but you just have to continue to chase it [even] if you fall and stumble so many times along the way,” he said.

Shell celebrates 75 years of iconic collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari HP

Shell celebrates the 75th anniversary of the first race together with Scuderia Ferrari in the Formula 1 World Championship at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1950. They’ve also renewed their partnership with a multi-year extension recently.

Senior Vice President of Shell Mobility & Convenience Asia, Tan Min Yih, highlighted Shell’s partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP, noting they had achieved many innovations together.

“This is not just about lubricants or fuels. This is not just about Shell V-Power, but it is the entire package of innovation that we bring to the public,” he commented, describing the event as “special” and “a money-can’t-buy experience”.

Indeed, what a treat for the loyal Shell V-Power customers and Shell GO+ members during a race week at another significant street circuit on the Formula 1 calendar.

Rewards and greater savings

Every litre of Shell V-power earns you 1.2 points, which can be converted into rewards such as fuel discounts and vouchers for lifestyle, dining and travel.

You can also earn one point with every S$5 net spend at Shell Select, or S$1 spent with Shell Car Wash.

As the only fuel used, trusted and recommended by Scuderia Ferrari HP, the Shell V-Power racing fuel used in Ferrari cars on the track contains 99 per cent of the same type of compounds found in the Shell V-Power road fuels, and cleans 100 per cent of deposits to prevent future build up on vital engine parts.

For more event highlights and driver interactions, check out @Shell_Singapore on Instagram and @ShellSGP on Facebook.

You can also download the Shell Asia app and join Shell GO+ to enjoy more savings, which can give you the chance to win other money-can’t-buy experiences. Visit www.shell.com.sg for more details.

This branded article is brought to you by Shell Singapore.

Top photos from Shell Singapore