An interview with….. Arthur Webb FRAeS on bringing carbon fibre to Formula 1

Royal Aeronautical Society Podcast · May 28, 2025 · 15m

When a young John Barnard was appointed as McLaren’s designer, he decided that carbon fibre was the future of Formula 1, but who should he ask to help him with his design? The answer was Arthur Webb of BAC. For a bit of fun in his own time, Arthur became McLaren’s unofficial carbon fibre consultant. Over the next few years, John and Arthur designed, tested and constructed the first carbon fibre shell of a Formula 1 car – a feet which not only made the car go faster, but saved drivers’ lives.

Arthur also describes other carbon fibre projects, such as how they worked to bring carbon fibre into…