Alfa Romeo increases speed on track with new paint manufacturer

Swiss Formula 1 team Alfa Romeo has entered into a partnership with paint manufacturer R-M, the team reported on Monday. R-M is part of the German group BASF SE, they develop various chemicals, including thus paint. Sister company R-M is responsible for that, and so will from now on colour Alfa Romeo's car.

The C43, Alfa Romeo's new bolide, will be sprayed with R-M's climate-friendly paint. So the Swiss team will be betting on a sustainable future when it comes to paint. Also, this paint will be light, which would therefore mean that it will also have an effect on the team's lap times.

Alfa Romeo gets even lighter

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Alfa Romeo representative, issued the following statement: "With a high level of expertise and commitment, and a common goal towards efficiency and sustainability, R-M is the ideal partner for our Formula One operations."

Paint can indeed affect car speed, Toto Wolff reported. For example, he said the W13 was heavier than the W12 and this was all to do with the paint that was on the car. This is because the W13 was silver, with some logos on it, and the W12 and W14 are cars without paint, where you only see the carbon.

Whether Alfa Romeo's car will actually gain seconds with this light paint remains to be seen.