On Thursday, Shell offered the media the opportunity to relive the budding years of Formula One, taking over a 1950s cinema in Malmedy for a special screening of its '1955 Belgian Grand Prix' film.

Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa joined guests at the retro venue to be immersed in a bygone era, surrounded by vintage 1950s cars, traditional cocktails and a boogie-woogie band in the evocative setting.

The drivers swapped their modern race suits for 1950s drivers outfits to give the media a one-off photo opportunity before ushering guests into the theatre for the screening of the '1955 Belgian Grand Prix' film - celebrating over 60 years of the Shell technical partnership with Ferrari in Formula One.

The two companies first joined forces to contest the inaugural Formula One World Championship together in 1950, a season that marked the beginning of a new era in global motorsport. Since then the collaboration has become one of the most long-standing and successful partnerships in the history of motorsport, contesting over 500 races together and winning 12 Drivers' Championships and 10 Constructors' Championships.

"We are very proud of our partnership with Ferrari and this event is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase where our shared history began," said Richard Bracewell, Shell Global Sponsorships Manager. "We have been working together for over 60 years and, although many things have changed in that time, the importance of this partnership to us is as great now as it was then."

With a period band setting the scene, guests were transported back in time to the early years of Formula One, taking in the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the young World Championship. Guests were free to explore the selection of classic 1950s cars, including a Ferrari 250 GT Boano, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce, a Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider and a Fiat 600 Multipla.

As 1950s policemen walked the beat and grease-stained mechanics tinkered with the cars, members of the media were invited to bring the '50s setting to life by dressing in period clothing, with leather jackets, bow ties and fedoras proving the fashion hits of the day.

The screening of the '1955 Belgian Grand Prix' film - which was made by Shell - serves as a special reminder of the longstanding history of Shell's technical partnership with the Maranello company in Formula One within the context of the Shell Belgian Grand Prix. In 1955 Shell supported several teams, of which Ferrari was one, but since then, Shell has gone on to develop an exclusive relationship with the Italian team that is unrivalled in the sport.

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1. Posted by The Rumble Strip, 25/08/2013 21:47

"I’ve been a fan of F1 since 1986 and one is often left wondering as to which era, or season, during that time is, or was, the greatest.

It is of course an age old debate and one that can never be settled with any degree of certainty. Although it’s easy to wallow in nostalgia by selecting those early days as the ones that are remembered most fondly, I also happen to think that the modern day version of F1 is just as good, if not even better.

I sincerely hope F1 can continue to entertain and enthral for many more years to come.
"

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Ferrari duo head back to 1955

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