Dissecting the 2023 Formula One teams in their carbon fibre era, with weight-saving liveries
The Formula One teams for the 2023 season are in their carbon fibre era.
Follow Us
Mercedes
Formula One is a rivalry about cars in a sense and not just a battle between the drivers. The teams ensure to make the fastest car they possibly can. Back at the factory, they have teams of engineers and technicians working to make this possible. The weight of the car plays a crucial role in gaining or losing seconds.
The 2023 Formula One season is not like any other. The teams are in their carbon fire era. Most of the teams have gone black to save weight. Now how does going black save weight, the answer is there is no paint on that part of the car, the black region is the carbon fibre. The teams have seemed to crack the code. Haas and Alfa Romeo have changed a big chunk of their car to black. McLaren as well has a significant amount of black.
Mercedes were the latest team to launch their car, the W14. The rumours proved to be true, the car was fully black. While the fans loved and celebrated this, it might not have been entirely for them. This is not about having an appealing livery, it is about the performance of the car. Except for the nose and the top of the engine cover the rest is carbon fibre. This might gain them 0.18 seconds per lap.
Related: Lewis Hamilton slams F1 competitors by saying Mercedes is ‘not a team that copies’
Formula One cars, notably Mercedes have gone black to save weight
The W14 is without any doubt gorgeous but it hardly has any paint, the aim was to deliver a weight-saving livery and that is exactly what they did. The Formula One teams have been known to limit the usage of paint to reduce the weight of the car. Previously Ferrari had shifted from glossy finish paint to a matte finish to gain speed.
Even the slightest modification in the car makes a mark when it comes to racing. So, the teams are constantly looking for ways to reduce their car weight. Knowing how the W14 is completely exposed to carbon fibre, Mercedes are expected to deliver this year, especially after the struggle in the 2022 season.
Going to this length, just shows how competitive the teams are to perform and challenge for wins. While all the teams have a portion of their car exposed to carbon fibre, Haas, Alfa Romeo, McLaren and Mercedes have stood out. Now, most of the cars on the track will run black, this might be confusing for some but it wouldn’t matter when the teams perform well. And Mercedes with their livery, full black, naked carbon fibre might be the meanest-looking car for the 2023 season.
In case you missed it:
Red Bull Racing might be forced to remove its logos at the Singapore Grand Prix
. Delving into the differences between the Mercedes W14 and its predecessor
Stay Updated!
Gerard Crispin
(3318 Articles Published)