In view of the next Imola GP, Racing Bulls will take to the track with recycled carbon molds: but what’s new?
Sustainability is one of the key topics of Motorsport, an ever-present challenge that each team carries out through the innovation of components, fuel and policies: so the Racing Bulls team also wanted to launch this message for the next Imola GP.
Exactly this happened in Faenza. Although it is part of a broader “sustainability plan”, the partnership between Racing Bulls and Herambiente, a company that deals with the sector in the Emilia region, is a gesture as noble as it is ambitious.
The collaboration will have the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 150 tons, a saving comparable to planting 4000 trees. This will affect the production of the car’s carbon components.
Carbon is the essential material for the creation of the final product. With it, molds are possible for the production of parts relating to the bottom and aerodynamics of the car, with each team that manages to use up to 50% of annual carbon for them.
However, these molds have a very short life cycle, being immediately disposed of once used. The partnership between the Faenza team and Hera will allow the design and construction of molds using previously disposed of carbon. The material already used will be supplied by the team to the company, where it will be subjected to a pyrogasification process, a technique that separates the carbon fibers from the resin components, regenerating it without affecting its performance.
This will translate into practice at the next Imola GP, home race for the Faenza team. Here the VCARB01s of Ricciardo and Tsunoda will take to the track with the front wing flaps originating from new eco-sustainable moulds, symbolizing a first and important step towards a more sustainable future.
It won’t be a keystone yet it is certainly a step forward for a circular economy. On the other hand, the choice would only bring benefits, a saving of money and materials, without considering the undeniably positive impact on the environment, especially considering the ambitious goal of eliminating emissions by 2030.
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