The 2023 Formula 1 Season ended with a dream performance for Red Bull. In another league, it was unrivalled during the 23 races, leaving the rest of the grid struggling to improve. Precisely, one of those teams was McLaren.
Although it improved considerably compared to other years, there is still work to be done, and in that sense, in terms of circular economy and innovation, they carried out tests using the latest recycled carbon fibre (RCF) technology in the single-seaters of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
In collaboration with the V Carbon composites organization, McLaren has been dedicated to the sourcing of recycled materials through the use of technologies, where components made from recycled carbon fibre are the first of their kind, which were implemented in the MCL60’s signature cockpit panels.
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“We are proud to partner with V Carbon to lead the charge for sustainable materials by running recycled carbon fibre at the Austin GP. The potential future applications for rCF are hugely exciting,” says Piers Thynne, McLaren F1 Operations Director.
McLaren Seeks Responsible Optimization
According to a press release issued by McLaren, recycled carbon fibre has a 90% reduction in lifecycle emissions compared to conventional carbon fibre, equivalent to 27 tons less carbon emissions for every ton of material used.
This test represented a further step in the Woking team’s goal of creating a fully circular Formula 1 car by 2030, so testing innovative technologies and materials is key to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions.
“Using recycled carbon fiber in key parts of the F1 car at this year’s US GP and analyzing its performance on track is a vital step towards reducing global GHG emissions from our car manufacturing,” says Kim Wilson, Sustainability Director at McLaren Racing.
