7 replies to this topic

[Anssi]

Have any team in the history of the "carbon-fibred" F1 left the paint completely out? I would be interested to hear if there are some real disadvantages with doing that. I know very well what happens to steel if it isn't protected but carbon fibre is in this respect an unknown thing to me.

I am of course thinking of improving the centre of mass (assuming it's not overweight so the only thing left would be to improve the centre of mass) of a race car by not painting the body parts. Is it only aesthetics why the parts are painted or are there some real technical problems if it's not done.

Edited by Anssi, 14 December 2009 - 18:24.

[desmo]

One can think of the epoxy layer between the fiber and the outside of the part as paint without added pigment, so by that score all CFRP is "painted". I doubt it makes any functional difference whether the fiber layer beneath is visible or not. The opaque paint carrying the sponsors' advertising is pretty much what pays for the whole show, so in a sense the paint is the most important part of an F1 car.

[Anssi]

Are the ads painted and not stickers? If they are stickers then still no paint needed. You can just make the sticker opaque.

I can imagine for example the 1993 Sauber F1 car could have been left without paint and I think it would not have looked dramatically different when looking from a distance.

Edited by Anssi, 14 December 2009 - 20:05.

[BullHead]

Teams have tested cars in the past without painting them first, even putting sponsor stickers on. (BAR, Jordan... I think come to mind)

[Tony Matthews]

Lots of small parts like brake ducts, wishbones, rear crash structures are left in bare carbon, just the gell-coat. Very nice they look, too!

[J. Edlund]

Epoxy is UV sensitive, so to left it unpainted is generally a bad idea.

For a carbon fibre look it's good idea to coat the part with urethane clear coat containing a UV blocker additive.

[Greg Locock]

Epoxy is UV sensitive, so to left it unpainted is generally a bad idea.

For a carbon fibre look it's good idea to coat the part with urethane clear coat containing a UV blocker additive.

For a race car it is not important, but if you have a carbon or glass fibre mast on your windsurfer after a decade or so in the sun the epoxy does start to break down.

[Lee Nicolle]

My fibreglass bloke reckons that it breaks down in UV fairly quickly and it does lose strength with age.Even when painted and UV protected. Obviously small non loaded bits dont matter and most are throw away anyway but not the tubs.
As a sometime racer himself he reckons those tubs will be dangerous after about 10 years.Which doesnt bode well for historic racing!!