"Every little bit counts" - F1 teams admit reasoning behind more black unpainted cars in the 2023 season

Mercedes F1 Technical Director Mike Elliot spoke about the amount of exposed carbon in the 2023 liveries and how it affects the performance of the car.

Since the introduction of the new regulations last year, F1 teams have been finding different ways to reduce the weight of their cars so that they can reach the required weight limit of 798kg. While some teams have opted for a lighter chassis, most have decided to run with exposed carbon and not paint their liveries.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday (March 3) ahead of the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, Elliot mentioned that every gram in the car mattered, saying:

"Yeah, I think we're probably into the small numbers now. I think when you look at the weight, of these cars, in terms of paint, it's not huge, but every little bit counts."

"And if you can make a small advantage there, then you do it. As for what they'll look like and how they develop once they've been sandblasted as you put it, it might actually be hard to deal with pure carbon than it will be painted but we’ll see."

Aston Martin's Dan Fallows too agreed with Elliot's answer, adding:

"I think I echo what Mike says really. You’re into the small margins, really, but in terms of the cost of painting things, that is a good point. It's not really something I put a huge amount of thought into but I think that's a fair point, actually."

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"We put a huge amount of effort this year into getting the car down to the weight limit" - Alpine F1's Pat Fry

Alpine F1's Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry stated that they have worked extremely hard to get their car down to the weight limit and gain some performance from their 2023 challenger.

He said:

"Well, I guess yeah, we put a huge amount of effort this year into getting the car down to the weight limit. Obviously, less paint or less film, whichever version you're using, helps."

"I mean to say we are now below the weight limit so we're ballasting so for us, I guess, we could have a slightly bit more pink or blue. But it's obviously a key differentiator and if you're overweight, you've just got to strip off everything you can."

Hopefully, from next year onwards, F1 teams will resolve the issue of weight saving, bringing out different colors in their liveries and not running with more exposed carbon on their cars.