MCLAREN REVEALS NEW NATURAL FIBRE F1 SEAT
The Mclaren Formula 1 team has partnered with sustainable ‘lightweighting’ specialist Bcomp to produce a racing seat made from natural fibres.
With F1’s sporting regulations mandating that ballast must be used within the immediate area of the driver’s seat if drivers weigh under the 80kg minimum, Mclaren approached the Swiss company to produce a lightweight and eco-friendly solution that retains the strength and stiffness of its carbonfibre predecessor with a 75% carbon-footprint reduction.
Made from flax fibres, a Co2-neutral and biodegradable raw material that is 9% lighter than any equivalent carbon material, and using Bcomp’s powerribs™ technology, it also boasts greater vibration absorption and reduces raw material cost by up to 30%.
“The use of natural-fibre composites is the latest example of composite materials innovation at Mclaren,” said Mclaren F1 team principal Andreas Seidl. “Not only does this solution provide equivalent performance to carbonfibre, it represents another step forward in our evolving sustainability programme.”