Honda Warps the World

Kay Premium Marking Films is helping the Honda Racing F1 Team to make a big impression with its 2007 environmentally-themed livery by supplying the specialist self-adhesive vinyl media for “wrapping” the team’s RA107 Formula One race cars. The RA107, driven by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, features an all-over body wrap produced from printed vinyl. It is the first car in recent F1 history to carry no corporate colours, sponsor advertising or branding – beyond the FIA-required insignia – but instead carries an image of planet Earth to help promote environmental awareness and raise funds for the charitable fund myearthdream.com. Created by the 19 Entertainment marketing organisation, the ground-breaking livery image is printed on to KPMF’s 50µ VWS 2 cast wrapping vinyl by the Honda Racing F1 Team paintshop graphics team, using a Mimaki JV-3 250SP solvent inkjet printer. Crucially, the wrap components are then protected with VWS 2 gloss clear cast over-laminate prior to cutting and application. “The protection offered by the 30µ over-laminate made VWS 2 the perfect choice for wrapping our cars,” says Paintshop Manager, Andrew Moody. “It provides an essential shield against the cocktail of engine fluids and the ‘kitty litter’ of the circuit gravel traps, which would otherwise quickly degrade the appearance of the graphics. “The fact that the two cars returned from competing in the Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain Grand Prix without requiring any graphic components to be replaced while they were away, shows just how effective it is.” Andrew’s team was recommended to use VWS 2, following its success for the past four years using VWS 1, the 100µ hybrid film which KPMF developed more than a decade ago, primarily for wrapping taxi-cabs. The RA107s are not, strictly speaking, the first Honda Racing F1 Team cars to be wrapped. Graphics department team leader, Mark Sales, explains: “Under FIA rules, cars must ‘race’ throughout a World Championship series in the same livery, but an exception is permitted for the Friday practice days before each Grand Prix. Obviously, it would be impossible to paint the cars in a different sponsor’s colours just for one day but we tried it in 2004 within the context of our previous livery and it worked brilliantly. By using VWS 1 it was perfectly feasible. “We soon taught ourselves to wrap a car in a matter of a few hours and – perhaps more importantly – to be able to strip it again in minutes. We found that the VWS 1 film bonded easily to the painted carbon body shell components and stripped off cleanly, leaving no residue.”

Thanks to this pioneering work, Andrew Moody’s team’s graphics department was well equipped to tackle the 2007 environmental livery, in terms of both equipment and personnel.“There are five of us now in the team who are able to multi-task – print, laminate, cut and wrap. As well as the Mimaki JV-3 printer, which is driven by the Shiraz RIP, we have a Mimaki CG cutter and Kala laminator.”

Nevertheless, translating the planet Earth image into an all-over body graphic that optimised visual impact, whilst in no way compromising the car’s performance, was a challenge. The modern F1 racing car is no taxi-cab: its body is a mass of complex compound curves andprotrusions, many of which are the subject of almost constant modification by the engineers in the interests of improved aerodynamic performance.

To adapt the one-dimensional design to a three-dimensional graphic, Andrew’s team began by borrowing the dressmaker’s technique, substituting a Honda RA107 paint jig for the dummy, building up out of ordinary white vinyl a pattern tailored to fit. In this way, in fairly short order, a pilot livery was created that with little modification became the finished template. “The wrap uses six metres of VWS 2 film and comprises a total of 31 separate pieces in various shapes and sizes which fit together like a jigsaw when cut out and applied around the car body,” says Andrew. “The joins between the pieces are carefully placed to fall where they are almost invisible to the eye and I am delighted to say that they all meet perfectly. In every instance, the image of the British Isles sits just in front of the cockpit in the most prominent position! ”

Now that the season is well underway and has entered the European phase of the World Championship, and their VWS 2 wraps have proven their worth in terms of visual impact and functionality, Mark and his team are turning their attention to the Honda Racing F1 Team support vehicles. 19 Entertainment has created themed truck livery designs featuring the planet Earth imagery which the graphics department is now reproducing – again on VWS 2. Says Andrew Moody: “So far we have completed six vehicles, including two brand new 13- metre double-deck race trucks which require 10 panels six metres high by 1.1 metres wide. All the graphics are being printed here – the Mimaki runs night and day – and then they are applied by the graphics team.

“We insist upon keeping all paint and graphics work in-house – we have a total staff of 15 – to ensure we maintain absolute control over quality of workmanship and material specification.

With weight and aerodynamic performance factors being so critical it is imperative that the materials we use are rigidly within specification at all times. We have found KPMF’s VWS films to be totally reliable in this regard.”

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