Re: Carbon element prices - was Cost of F1 accidents

"Raymond O'Hara" wrote:

"Doc Knutsen" <doc@cheekracingDOTcom> wrote in message
news:pt6dnb1WJpOoglnVnZ2dnUVZ_gCdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Let me tell you a story from the real world, a few years back, during the
years that F1 co-existed with F3000. At that time, you could buy parts
from last year's F1 car at greatly reduced prices, some people would sell
parts at cost per kilogramme for the material....ie, so much per kg for
carbon, so much per kilo for magnesium, Inconel, various alloy steels,
etc. The reason was that the teams in question would carry our design
modifications to next year's car so that no parts were interchangeable,
ie perfectly usable carbon brake discs would not fit next year's model,
due to the PCD of the fixings being slightly altered....for no other
reason that the sponsor would have to stomp up money for all new parts,
thus inflating next year's budget requirement. And at the same time,
adding to the myth of extreme costs of anything connected with F1.
Similar things happened with upright, drive shafts, rack and pinion
assemblies, etc. So all unused spares could be, ahem, disposed of,
clearing the shelves for the next generation of spares. Back in 1997, I
was offered a rolling chassis contemporary F1 car for £ 40K, including a
stay at the factory for two days, in order to learn about building the
machine.
Now, none of the teams I dealth with back in the late Nineties is still
around (well, one is, but after several sets of new management) and of
course prices have escalated enormously. But my point is, many of the
components aren't really that demanding to manufacture, nor are they that
labour-intensive. So the unit prices quoted in this thread, seen as a
product of materials and labour, are ludicrous. If you ask the question,
what sort of budget is set aside for front and rear aerofoils, their
design, development and fabrication, and divide that by the number of
components actually produced during a season, a completely different set
of figures would, of course, appear. But as you say, F1 teams do not
produce components for sale. Thus, bandying such over-inflated prices
about might provide the gullible fan with stars in his eyes, but not do
much else.
Incidentally, for "Mr Not Ecclestone"'s statement that a thousand pounds
worth of carbon would not produce a wing capable of downforce of a
greater magnitude than a lady's handbag....the last time I bought carbon
*** from Ciba-Geigy, I paid £880,- for 10 metres. That would enable you
to produce a six- og seven-layer r wing element. Which would be strong
enough to run a truck over. And heavy enough to give understeer as it is
unlikely that the front whels would touch the ground, with all that
weight stuck out the back.
Doc





do you understand the design costs? the making of molds and tooling.
the cost reflects more than just the price of materials and the labor of
making it.


He probably understand that design, molds and toolings are usually not
damaged in F1 accidents.


Ola Trygve Kvitle


.

Loading