stickerfix™ helps keep the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes slick

 

In a sport where the slickest car gains an extra edge on the competition, AkzoNobel’s Automotive & Aerospace Coatings (A&AC) has been working with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team (VMM) for the last three years on the slickest, lightest – and most gorgeous – coatings in the F1 competition. That cooperation was recently extended with VMM using A&AC’s vaunted stickerfix™ adhesive repair system as it prepared its MP4-26 race car for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix following up on the race in India..

stickerfix™ uses an ultra-thin adhesive foil coated with topcoats that exactly match the original topcoats – in this case, VMM’s rocket red and lustrous chrome racing colors. The simple adhesive system makes it possible to quickly apply the foil patches – without spray paints or other complicated system – over nicks, scratches, or other minor body damage. And that works out especially well for the VMM team.

“Most people don’t realize how much work occurs between races to prepare for the next race,” says Jim Rees, Managing Director of A&AC. “Not only do the cars suffer cosmetic damage, but they are set up differently for each course, to improve the aerodynamics. That means there may be holes in the bodywork, or rivets that are exposed, or other imperfections. After the Indian Grand Prix, there was no time to return the car to England. By using stickerfix™, VMM was able to make certain that the car was aesthetically perfect and aerodynamically slick for Abu Dhabi.”

“We are nearing the end of a tough and enduring season and our cars have not returned to the McLaren Technology Centre since before the Singapore Grand Prix,” says Jonathan Neale, Managing Director at McLaren Racing. “Obviously our cars need to look flawless and as good as new every time they leave the garage. We have worked in partnership with A&AC since 2008 to source the most striking shades and lightweight color products for our paintshop area. Now we are using stickerfix™ to act as an easily adaptable component to repair small damage points to ensure that our cars look fresh even when we can’t get them back to the shop. The product has helped us to focus our resources on development of the MP4-26 right to the end of the 2011 season.”

VMM subjected stickerfix™ to extensive testing earlier this year to make certain it could withstand the rigors of Grand Prix racing. It has now committed to continue using the stickerfix™ system next year as well.