McLaren will test recycled carbon fiber in the MCL60 at the next F1 GP in the US in a bid for sustainability.
The McLaren Racing F1 Team will introduce cutting-edge recycled carbon fiber (rCF) use in the McLaren MCL60 at this year’s US Grand Prix, in line with the team’s aim to develop a fully circular F1 car by 2030. Test. We help identify and test breakthrough technologies and materials to achieve net zero.
Working with innovative composites organization V Carbon, McLaren has sourced recycled materials made using newly developed technology. The vehicle component made from rCF is the first of its kind and will be used in the cockpit branding panel featuring the V Carbon logo.
The environmental benefits of recycled carbon fiber are: Lifecycle emissions are reduced by 90% compared to standard carbon fiber, which equates to 27 tonnes of carbon emissions for every tonne of material used. If just 1% of the carbon fiber produced worldwide in 2022 were rCF, 32,535 tonnes of carbon emissions would be saved. This equates to half of McLaren Racing’s total emissions in 2022.
F1 car manufacturing is one of the largest contributors to the overall carbon footprint of an F1 team. Therefore, increasing the use of more sustainable materials has great potential to reduce emissions.
Pursuing a circular economy – Example: H. Minimizing the resources we use and the waste we generate, while keeping materials as circular as possible, are among McLaren Racing’s four sustainability priorities. One of the things. The team is committed to accelerating the development of a fully circular F1 car and is working alongside long-term partner Deloitte. The collaboration with V Carbon is another important step in demonstrating the feasibility of circular practices in the production of F1 cars.
McLaren is no stranger to pioneering materials development in F1, becoming the first F1 team to use an all-carbon fiber chassis in 1981. In 2020, we introduced bio-based flax fibers to replace traditional carbon fibers. It has since been successfully used in Lando car seats.
Piers Singh, chief operating officer of McLaren F1 Team, said: “We are proud to work with V Carbon to lead the way in sustainable materials and to be able to run on recycled carbon fiber at the Austin GP. I’m proud.” rCF is very exciting. V-Carbon provides up to 85% of carbon fiber’s original strength, making it strong enough for a variety of applications in F1 and beyond. We will continue to work closely with the FIA, F1 and other teams to accelerate change. ”
Kim Wilson, Director of Sustainability at McLaren Racing, said: We know that innovation in this area can make a significant contribution to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals. As a team we are passionate about driving change in the sport, but we can’t do this alone and we need to work with other companies such as V Carbon and our partner Deloitte to achieve this. is needed. The use of recycled carbon fiber in key components of F1 cars at this year’s US Grand Prix and analysis of on-track performance will be an important step towards reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions in vehicle manufacturing. . V Carbon’s new technology, like many other breakthrough developments in F1, has the potential to be widely applicable to other industries, so we’re excited to explore the next steps. ”
Following the success of its collaboration with V Carbon at the US GP, McLaren intends to continue using rCF in its F1 cars for the remainder of the 2023 season, evaluating the material’s sustainability and performance is. In the longer term, the team plans to develop additional parts for the McLaren F1 car and begin to close the loop on carbon fiber manufacturing and reduce overall emissions.
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[Note: Story corresponds to press release]
