AS official paint and coatings partner of the McLaren Racing team, the company’s Sikkens brand has helped McLaren to stand out on the grid since 2008. With a new look and design for the 2020 season, all painted parts of the latest race car – as well as the team’s transport, garage and accessories – feature AkzoNobel’s high-performance products.
This season, the car also uses heat-shielding provided by the company’s Protective Coatings business. Intertherm 50 – from the International product range – has been applied to critical components surrounding the engine and exhaust to help them withstand temperatures of up to 540˚C. A single coat of the product is just 25 microns thick – around a third of the width of a human hair.
“We’re extremely proud of our long partnership with McLaren, which is built on collaboration, a shared passion for innovation and a commitment to performance,” said Patrick Bourguignon, managing director of AkzoNobel’s Automotive and Specialty Coatings business. “The car looks fantastic – both on top and underneath – and we’re especially looking forward to seeing it in action at Zandvoort when the F1 Grand Prix returns to the Netherlands this year.”
The McLaren Racing team will be looking to build on a positive 2019 season when it finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Scientists and technicians at McLaren and AkzoNobel have been collaborating for more than a decade, with the partnership being extended in 2012 to include McLaren road cars.
