Mark Winterbottom joins Shell Racing Brazil in the Doubles Stock Car Race

20 February 2018

Mark Winterbottom will be racing with Atila Abreu in car # 51

Shell Racing Brazil opens the 2018 season of Stock Car with a starry cast at Interlagos. 

 

On the 40th anniversary of the category the opening Doubles Race returns to featuring international guest drivers on the Stock Car Calendar.

 

Australian Mark Winterbottom will be racing with Atila Abreu in car # 51 and the Belgian Laurens Vanthoor for car # 10 at Interlagos on March 10.

 

The team headed by Thiago Meneghel, Atila Abreu and Ricardo Zonta seek an unprecedented victory in the race for doubles. 

 

Shell Racing bet on the background of the overseas guests past performance, as well as familiarity with the stock car on other occasions in Brazil when making their doubles choice.

 

Twice top 5 in the Doubles Race in two appearances (finished second and fourth), Australian Mark Winterbottom will double with Atila Abreu for the first time.

 

At 36, Winterbottom competes in the Supercars Championship of his country, which has achieved prominence since the beginning of his career. In 2003, he won the title in the development category. In the main category, in addition to the 2015 Championship title has amassed 38 victories, 36 poles and 116 podiums. 

 

The Supercars category resembles the technical package of Stock Car.

 

"I am very happy to receive Mark in car # 51. The Doubles Race is an international event and I'm glad it returned to the calendar with an impressive spectacle. My guest showed great performance on the occasions he competed in the race and i believe he will be very quick again this year. My aim is the title of pilots and believe that Mark is the ideal partner to make a good debut and start the season with important points "

Atila Abreu, car racer # 51

 

“I am excited to be joining the Shell Racing Team in the opening Stock Car Brazil Race, i enjoy how competitive the Stock Car series is because it reminds me a lot of the Australian Supercar Championship i compete in. After finishing second in my last Stock Car doubles race the aim is to climb a step driving with Attila, he is a consistent front runner and i think we have a good chance. Returning to the Interlagos circuit for the second time is helpful and i look forward to the extra codriver Practice sessions. I know the car and i know the circuit, so i will feel familiar straight up”

Mark Winterbottom, mate Attila Abreu

 

"It has everything to be a great show. It is always interesting to see and compare the performance of the guests with the main race drivers to open the championship. We are excited to be able to partner markwiwith two drivers with worldwide references, which are highly respected worldwide. Mark is an example of its kind in Australia. Laurens is the Porsche driver who has raced around the world with various titles for the brand. It is a pleasure to count on them. I'm sure we'll have a very good performance " 

Thiago Meneghel, team boss Shell Racing

 

About Raizen:

Raízen, licensed from Shell brand in Brazil, stands out as one of the most competitive energy companies in the world and one of the largest in sales in Brazil, operating in all stages of the process: cultivation of sugar cane, sugar, ethanol and energy , marketing, internal logistics and export, distribution and retail fuel. The company has about 30,000 employees, who work every day to generate sustainable solutions that contribute to the development of the country, such as the production of bio - electricity and second-generation ethanol from the byproducts of sugarcane. With 26 production units, Raizen produces about 2.0 billion liters of ethanol per year, 4.2 million tons of sugar and has the capacity to generate about 940 MW of electricity from bagasse from cane sugar. The company is also present in 66 supply bases at airports, 67 fuel distribution terminals and sells approximately 25 billion liters of fuel to transport segments, industry and retail. It has a network of over 6,000 service stations with Shell brand, responsible for the marketing of fuel and more than 950 Shell Select convenience stores. In addition, the company maintains Raizen Foundation, which seeks to be close to the community by offering professional training, education and citizenship. Established over 14 years, the Foundation has six core Raízen in the state of São Paulo and one in Goiás and has benefited more than 13,000 students and more than 4 million people with actions taken since 2012.