Success in 3-D

In Grand Prix racing, McLaren steal a march on their rivals with new printing techniques

McLaren plans to start 3D-printing parts for its Formula 1 cars at the trackside. Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Formula One is often referred to as a sport of innovation, in which even the smallest advantage could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Now McLaren is trying to wrest the initiative from their rivals through the use of a portable 3-D printer. Starting at the Bahrain Grand Prix this week, parts such as hydraulic line brackets, radio cables, brake cooling ducts and even rear wing flaps can be printed trackside, giving a probable advantage to McLaren drivers over its rivals as they will be able to make last-minute changes to the car.

Apart from being an interesting development in F1, the idea that car parts can be printed locally is a potential game-changer. Widespread adoption of the 3-D printing technology in car production may be some way off, but this development gives us hope that one day it can be used to tackle many problems related to manufacturing, supply chain and even the distribution of counterfeit parts.