Bike Design From F1 Cars. It sounds utopistic because bike shapes are actually different from an F1 car and, above all, the surface area. Mixing colours can result in really different designs. In fact, F1 car designs are inspirational for creating our bikes without literally copying them.
The first bike we propose is a homage to the Swedish pilot Ronnie Peterson and was designed by Thomas Bengtsson. He drew inspiration from the tragic fate of Ronnie Peterson, a Swedish Formula 1 racer who met his untimely demise during the 1978 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. This sorrowful event motivated Thomas to create a carbon racing bicycle with the colours of the ’78 Lotus F1.
The story behind
Ronnie Peterson, an esteemed figure in Sweden, gained a reputation throughout the 1970s as the fastest driver in terms of sheer speed in the F1 circuit. However, he was frequently overshadowed by his teammate Mario Andretti, who was deemed superior in car development. The Italian Grand Prix saw Peterson starting poorly from the third row of the grid and becoming entangled in a massive crash involving Riccardo Patrese, James Hunt, who veered left and collided with Peterson, Brambilla, Reutemann, Stuck, Depailler, Pironi, Daly, Regazzoni, and Lunger. Peterson suffered approximately 27 fractures in his legs and feet. As the night progressed, Peterson’s condition deteriorated, and he was diagnosed with fat embolism. Tragically, he passed away the following morning.
Courtesy of Alexandr Migl
Riccardo Patrese faced charges of manslaughter due to an unsafe manoeuvre on the track, while race director Gianni Restilli was implicated in contributing to Peterson’s demise by initiating the race with a premature start signal. Only a few years later Patrese was cleared of the charge. It seems that the offending manoeuvre was instead carried out by James Hunt, but the videos and photos of the time were of poor quality to determine a culprit with certainty.
Courtesy of Gillfoto
A statue commemorating Ronnie Peterson stands in Örebro, Sweden. In 1979, George Harrison paid tribute to Peterson with a song and music video titled “Faster.” In 2017, a captivating documentary film titled “Superswede” was released, delving into the life of Ronnie Peterson. This film is highly recommended for viewing, not only for ardent Formula 1 enthusiasts but for a broader audience as well.
The Design of the bike
Drawing inspiration from the gold and black Lotus driven by Peterson, the designer Thomas Bengtsson incorporated these colours into the aesthetics of the carbon bike Daccordi Viator. Thomas Bengtsson meticulously applied these hues to the frame, seatpost, and handlebar, all of which were conceptualized by him. We take immense pride in commemorating such an extraordinary driver with this exceptional road bike.
In the first model, which was the original concept, we fully painted the seat post in gold. The handlebar was carbon monocoque, and we painted it in gold with black striped on the stem. Later, we decided to give just a little touch of gold to the seatpost, and we often mounted aluminium bars and stems without painting them.
This colour scheme is extraordinary eyes catching both matte or glossy finishing. And although the original idea came in 1978, it is a Bike Design From F1 that is extraordinarily modern and actual. Black and gold are ageless colours, and the slanting stripes give the bike a sense of speed and aggressivity.
