Formula 1 United States Grand Prix: Fans Win with Mobil 1

A hundred lucky winners will have their names carried on the McLaren-Mercedes cars of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton at the United States Grand Prix this weekend.

Speaking to me earlier today courtesy of Mobil 1, 2009 Formula One World Champion Button—whose car uses fuel and lubricants developed by the oil giant—explained:

"

The Mobil 1 Racing Academy is an online game, and the top one hundred people have got their names on the cars, so they're a proper part of the action.

"

The winners will have their name and location blended into the Mobil 1 logos on the cars.

The game was accessible through Mobil 1's Facebook page. Though the competition is now closed to further entries, the site is still offering news and information related to the return of F1 to the States.

I'm the sort of fan who loves the idea of having F1 technology in my daily life, so I asked Jenson how the oil used in his car compares to that which is available for my own road car.

"

It's so highly tuned for Formula One engines it needs to be a little bit different...it's working flat out the whole time so it's different to what you'd have in your road car.

"

An F1 engine is a 2.4-litre beast producing several times more power than the average car could dream of, so it isn't too surprising to learn they run on different stuff.

However, those of us who appreciate such things can take solace from knowing the oil available in the shops has been formulated for high performance using lessons learned on the race track.

The United States Grand Prix takes place at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.