A recent report in the American journal Science says that advances in nanotechnology could lead to its introduction in Formula One in the near future.

Nanotechnology is the science of engineering materials with the properties of strength, lightness and electrical conductivity at the molecular, or nanometer, scale. According to Science the technology could be used to create artificial muscles, superstrong electric cars and wallpaper-thin electronics..

Scientists from the University of Texas and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization have reported the creation of industry-ready sheets of materials made from nanotubes -tiny carbon tubes with remarkable strength that are only a few times wider than atoms – that can also act as the semiconductors found in modern electronics.

The new material is self-supporting, transparent and stronger than steel or high-strength plastics, the sheets are flexible and can be heated to emit light. In laboratory tests, the sheets demonstrated solar cell capabilities, using sunlight to produce electricity.

One future application that scientists have discussed is the creation of racecars with stronger, lighter bodies that could also serve as batteries. Andrew Barron, a chemist at of Rice University in Houston. TX said, "We could see this on Formula 1 (racing) cars by next season. This is a jumping-off point for a technology a lot of people will pursue."