Renault leads F1's Great Design Race

London is currently in the grip of an incredible heatwave, but there are still plenty of cool things to do in the British capital… Top of the list for F1 fans is a must-see exhibition at the chic Design Museum, on the South Bank of the River Thames in Shad Thames.

The museum has grown from an original idea by Sir Terence Conran to showcase the design of the manufactured object, and is now the UK’s leading museum of modern and contemporary design, architecture and fashion with a mission of inspiring, informing and educating on design.

For the summer of 2006, they have approached Formula 1 from the unique perspective at looking not at the racing, but rather the design of the objects. Assembled from over 6000 individual components, a Formula 1 car is an assembly of hundreds of individual jewel-like components.

A hand-made set of exhausts… lightweight gear ratios… the carefully sculpted forms of drivers’ helmets… all the way to the colouring, and visual design, of a pair of overalls. Every part of a Formula 1 car is designed for a specific purpose, never just simply made….

The displays at the Design Museum’s “F1: The Great Design Race” exhibition aim to place Formula 1 in this context of carefully-considered design. At the heart of the exhibition, the world-championship winning Renault F1 R25 forms a unique centrepiece display.

The concept for the display of the R25 is that of an ‘exploded’ car. The sectioned bodywork allows visitors a unique view of the craft and expertise that lies under the skins of the fastest machines in the world. The centre-piece display is accompanied by unique videos showing the construction of the championship-winning car, and a number of components that visitors can actually touch – bringing them directly into contact with the high-tech world of F1.

It’s a unique design for a unique exhibit about a unique sport. The exhibition runs until 29 October at the Design Museum, don’t miss it!