PPG & Williams F1® Team – still a winning combination

PPG Industries is looking forward to building on its successful partnership with the Williams F1 Team with its range of optimum paint systems for the new Formula One™ season. These are exciting times, with Williams F1 introducing a new car and a new driver for 2012, Bruno Senna.

As an official partner of Williams F1 Team, PPG has been supplying paint finishes for their race cars since 2003. This long-term association has seen PPG develop paint systems with minimum weight, reduced cost and the highest definition finish for all-important sponsor identification.

Founded in 1883, PPG Industries is a global supplier of coatings, glass, fiber glass and chemicals. The company has more than 140 manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates, and operates in more than 60 countries.

PPG's long history of innovation has enabled their specialist Refinish division to provide the Williams F1 team with optimum presentation standards in the high-profile world of Formula One. The weight of the race car is essential in determining lap times, and the paint system is a vital element in the car's performance. As a result, PPG's unique solutions and customized surface-finishing technologies have been key factors in achieving these essential weight savings, contributing to crucial lap time savings on the race track. The new systems are set to build on last season's impressive performance and produce even more weight reduction.

Working in close partnership with Williams F1 Team, PPG created a paint system that led to a significant saving in the overall car weight, as a result of the reduced volume of paint used. Each permutation of undercoat, primers and top coat was analysed in detail for weight and quality of finish, with PPG able to show the precise percentage savings for each system.  

This work resulting in the team adopting an all-new PPG system which gave a 48% reduction in the weight added to the car during the painting process. The new PPG system also achieved a significant saving in energy costs, a reduction of paint product usage and a decrease in labour times. Overall, Williams F1 Team spend on painting car components fell by 44% from 2008 to 2009.