State of flax

As Formula 1 looks to the future, a viable, sustainable and economical substitute for carbon fibre could provide multiple answers

Formula 1 is a hotbed of innovation, and carbon is one of the mainstays of the modern motor racing era. From the first carbon monocoque chassis that McLaren developed and raced in its MP4/1 in 1981, the material has become ever more prevalent and now makes up around 70 per cent of current car’s structural weight.

Despite its benefits, there is no doubt that using it carries a negative environmental impact so Swiss company, Bcomp, has been at the forefront of developing an alternative. It has already made significant impact on various top-level areas of the sport, including the DTM and GT racing. Now, however, the company has moved into Formula 1 with McLaren, developing a natural fibre racing seat for the team, the first Formula 1 car part to be made of renewable textile fibres.

By optimising the mechanical properties of flax fibres through fabric architecture, it’s been possible to make a seat with the required strength and stiffness, but with a 75 per cent lower CO2 footprint compared to its carbon fibre counterpart.

‘The use of natural fibre composites is the latest example of pioneering, composite materials innovation at McLaren,’ says McLaren F1 team principal, Andreas Seidl. ‘Not only does this solution provide equivalent performance to carbon fibre, it represents another step forward in our evolving sustainability programme, while underlining our commitment to helping F1 turn its ambitious sustainability strategy into action.’

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