When a person sees an F1 car accelerate to 100 mph in 3 seconds, they know they are seeing an engineering marvel. The engines get a lot of focus, but the real speed comes from the materials they use to build the car. F1 sees the value in their materials and weighs the value of the heat, and the rigidity and structure of each part of the car.
A major part of F1 cars are the carbon fibre components. The entire chassis of an F1 car, known as the monocoque, is built of layers and layers of carbon fibre composites. However, this is not like the carbon fibre found in bicycles and sports cars. F1 carbon fibre is woven and laid in a very specific manner and is then autoclaved, which is a process of sealing it under high pressure and temperature. The outcome is a structure that is very strong and light. The monocoque weighs about 35 kg, but it can hold a lot of mass and withstand impacts. Traditional materials like steel and aluminum cannot do that.
The design of the suspension components presents a different perspective when it comes to the selection of materials. In this case, the true ‘MVP’ becomes \titanium. Titanium has a \tfantastic strength to weight ratio, and remarkable fatigue resistance. In a single race, suspension components will go through compression and extension cycles \tmillions of times. While \taluminum is lighter, it would fail under the f constant loading experienced \tin a race. \tSteel would be sufficiently strong, but it would be far too heavy. Titanium is the best choice to endure the constant punishment of a race, and it keeps the unsprung weight low.
The materials that make up brake systems are pushed to their absolute limit. For example, F1 brakes are made of carbon-carbon composite materials which were developed for use in spacecraft. F1 brake discs can function at temperatures over 1,000° Celsius. Steel would melt at that temperature, however, the brakes in an F1 car are fully operational at 400° Celsius. For this reason, it is common to see drivers weaving their cars back and forth during a safety car period in order to get their brakes up to temperature.
The construction of an engine block has its own challenges. Modern F1 engines produce 1.6 liters of power. Over 1000 horsepower is produced. The internal engine parts are phenomenal. Parts can spin at 15,000 revolutions per minute at temps that are ordinarliy destructive. Road car engines will not have engine block parts made from high grade aluminum. Specialized alloys with extra aluminum, magnesium, and others will help withstand additional temps. Some internal parts are made from alloys that are extremely strong, but steel is avoided when engineers can to lessen the weight.
The exhaust system must endure temps of about 900 degrees. My Choice exhaust system has its strengths and holds them at extremely high temps. Even when glowing, they resist oxidation. Standard steel can be used. Using Standard steel offers significant cost savings, but the exhaust system will deteriorate quickly and will add increased weight.
Even the fasteners and fixings are unique. When possible, F1 teams use titanium bolts throughout the car. A steel bolt could cost a few cents, while a titanium bolt might cost £20, but in a car with thousands of fasteners, switching to titanium can save several kilograms.
The gearbox casing is usually made of magnesium alloy. Magnesium and aluminum are similar in weight, but magnesium is more expensive and more difficult to manufacture. For a component that needs to be rigid but doesn’t face the same kind of impact loads as the monocoque, magnesium makes perfect sense.
All of these material choices add up to a car that weighs just 798 kilograms with the driver that includes the minimum weight set by the regulations. Without these advanced materials, engineering a car with that weight along with the necessary structural integrity and safety standards would be unfeasible. F1 cars could not be as fast without these materials, and without these materials, modern F1 racing would not be possible at all.
While it’s true F1 teams spend hundreds of millions developing and racing the cars each season, the raw materials cost is small in comparison. However, without the ability to procure certain exotic materials and the knowledge to properly engineer them, even an unlimited budget would produce a non-competitive F1 car. The materials do matter.