McLaren Racing set to trial V Carbon at US Grand Prix

By Tom Kilkelly

23 October 2023

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Credit: McLaren

McLaren Racing’s Formula 1 team will be trialling the use of recycled carbon fibre on its MCL60 at this year's US Grand Prix.

This trial is part of an effort from the team to develop a fully circular F1 car by 2030 and to help identify and test technologies that will help it reach its Net Zero targets.

The carbon fibre itself was developed in collaboration with composites organisation V Carbon. McLaren manufactured parts for the car using recycled carbon fibre, all of which are the first of their kind.

These parts will also feature the V Carbon logo.

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Piers Thynne, Chief Operating Officer of the McLaren F1 Team, said: “We're proud to team up with V Carbon to lead the charge in sustainable materials, running with recycled carbon fibre at the Austin GP.

''The potential future applications of rCF are hugely exciting. V Carbon offers up to 85% of carbon fibre 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 fellow teams to help accelerate change.”

Benefits of using recycled carbon fibre in this setting include a 90 per cent reduction in life cycle emissions compared to standard carbon fibre. McLaren has said each tonne of material used equates to 27 tonnes of carbon emissions reduced.

Kim Wilson, Director of Sustainability at McLaren Racing, said: “Developing a fully circular F1 car is our moonshot. We know that innovating in this space has the potential to make a large contribution to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals.

''As a team, we are passionate about driving change in our sport but we cannot do this alone and need to collaborate with others, like V Carbon and our partners Deloitte, to achieve this.

''Using recycled carbon fibre in key parts of the F1 car at this year’s US GP and analysing their performance on the track is a vital step towards reducing the overall GHG emissions of our car manufacture.

''V Carbon’s new technology, as with many other pioneering developments in F1, also has the potential for wider application across other industries, so we’re excited to explore next steps.”

By Tom Kilkelly

Tom Kilkelly started working as a freelance journalist for The Business Magazine following his graduation from UCL in 2022.

During his studies Tom became very interested in the works of Irish authors including Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan).

His current role as a freelance business reporter is his first exposure to the world of business journalism. Working at TBM has given Tom the chance to really get to grips with the goings-on in the business hive that is the South East.