Do F1 Cars Use Gold?

The engineering behind an F1 car is incredibly complex, making it one of the most advanced sports. However, using gold in its construction is something most fans would never guess as one of the components involved. As such, when McLaren’s Oscar Piastri admitted to the same, it raised several eyebrows.

In a McLaren social media segment, Piastri participated in ‘Two Truths and One Lie.’ The Melbourne-born driver read aloud from a piece of paper: there is 22-karat gold on McLaren’s F1 car, an F1 car could theoretically drive upside down, and drivers experience only 1G force during races.

Why do you have gold on your car? Is it functional?

— Beeblebrox (@ZanyZephyrX) January 14, 2025

Piastri revealed that drivers actually experience forces of up to 5 or 6G, making the ‘golden revelation’ true. There was in fact 22 karat gold used in the making of the MCL60, something McLaren spoke about in a 2023 video posted on X (formerly Twitter).

GOLD?! On an @F1 car? pic.twitter.com/GHiPxODM26

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 14, 2023

Gold, an excellent heat reflector, was used to optimize the car’s performance by regulating temperatures. F1 car engines generate significant heat, and McLaren put gold in its power unit to reflect the heat away from the fuel tank of the car.

“It also keeps the driver cockpit in front of the car cool,” the narrator of the video stated. Objects like copper, nickel, and even silver would do the job in this case, but gold remains the best choice.

It’s not used as commonly simply because of the fact that it is very expensive. But taking a look at everyday objects around us more quickly will help us realize that gold is used in very small amounts in several appliances such as computers, and mobile phones.