Why the motorsport industry uses polyurethane products

9th February, 2026

Since polyurethane plastic can be manufactured anywhere from the shore hardness softer than a pencil rubber to harder than nylon and anywhere in between, it has several uses in many industries, including the automotive industry, but more specifically, in motorsport.

At Aquaseal Rubber, we know that the uses of rubber in the automotive industry are extremely vast. However, polyurethane is also important in the automotive industry to support numerous different applications across road, racing and classic car restoration.

This guide will focus on choosing polyurethane plastic over automotive rubber and highlight where polyurethane is used in different motorsport categories, from open wheel to closed wheel racing.

Why choose rubber over polyurethane?

Understanding whether to use rubber or polyurethane for any bespoke product requires detailed research and collaboration with expert rubber manufacturers.

Rubber materials prioritise comfort, flexibility and vibration isolation whilst polyurethane prioritises control, durability and consistency. In motorsport, although comfort and vibration isolation are crucial aspects, precision and longevity are more important.

Polyurethane is chosen over rubber in motorsport because of its superior wear and abrasion resistance, higher stiffness and shape retention, better resistance to oils, fuels and chemicals, improved heat tolerance in dynamic conditions and longer service life. Rubber is still used alongside polyurethane plastic to enhance applications.

Our essential guide to polyurethane includes everything you need to know about polyurethane as a material, including its properties and benefits and both open-case urethane and polyurethane moulding.

Where is polyurethane plastic used in the motorsport industry?

Like in the automotive industry, polyurethane plastic is used across numerous different racing categories in motorsport.

Polyurethane is used across most racing categories for suspension bushings because it is stiffer than rubber, meaning it deforms less under braking and acceleration, allowing for better control and because it has superior durability levels, with higher resistance to wear and abrasion. Since polyurethane can be made in multiple shore hardness grades, bespoke parts can be made for suspension bushings to align with the requirements of the chassis.

As well as suspension bushings, polyurethane plastic is used in numerous applications in every type of racing series, from open and closed wheel championships to motorcycle racing.

Open wheel racing: Formula 1

The importance of rubber products in Formula 1 is critical to success and safety, but it also works in tandem with polyurethane plastic.

Applied and implemented across various aspects of open-wheel racing cars, like steering rack mounts, ancillary mounts and dampers and cable hose supports, polyurethane plastic offers compliance for precise suspension geometry, excellent wear resistance and predictable response at extreme loads and temperatures.

Sports car racing: World Endurance Championship

Sports car racing, like the World Endurance Championship, differs to Formula 1 because cars are often under extreme amounts of pressure for long periods of time, with endurance races lasting up to 24 hours.

Polyurethane is a common material used in anti-roll bar mounts, drivetrain and differential mounts and aerodynamic actuator because it helps maintain alignment over long stints, resists heat soak and oil contamination and delivers consistent performance over six to 24-hour races.

Touring car racing: British Touring Car Championship

In closed-wheel racing, like the British Touring Car Championship, polyurethane plastic is chosen over rubber because the cars must survive close contact, kerbs, heat and repeated short races.

It is found in subframe bushings, engine and gearbox mounts and steering mounts because it improves handling response over rubber, withstands kerb strikes and repeated contact with other cars and provides a longer service life with optimal performance over a race weekend.

Rallying: World Rally Championship

In rally racing, like the World Rally Championship, polyurethane is the preferred material because it can deal with the harsh conditions of mud, gravel, snow, tarmac and rocks whilst enduring constant impacts but still behaving consistently.

Applied in differential mounts and engine and gearbox mounts, polyurethane plastic offers exceptional resistance to tearing and abrasion. It survives high impact loads and debris from mud and water better than rubber materials.

Stock car racing: NASCAR

In stock car racing, like NASCAR, cars spend long periods of time at very high speed under continuous lateral load, with huge heat soak and frequent contact. Polyurethane plastic delivers chassis control, heat resistance and durability needed for these long races, but they come without the fragility of harsh, solid mounts.

Used in control arm mounts and sway bar mounts, polyurethane controls chassis deflection at high speeds, tolerates sustained heat and vibration and improves predictability in oval racing, which is a crucial feature of a NASCAR race calendar.

Motorcycle racing: MotoGP

In motorcycle racing categories like MotoGP, millimetres of movement and tiny changes can decide the outcome of a race within seconds because motorcycles are far more sensitive than cars. Polyurethane plastic is the middle ground between soft rubber and harsh solid mounts.

In MotoGP, polyurethane is used in engine mounts, suspension linkage bushings, steering damper mounts and control isolation components because it maintains stiffness under high load and vibration, unlike rubber, whilst also resisting heat and fluids and delivering precise feedback to the rider, maximising their safety and optimising race performance.

Ultimately, polyurethane plastic is used across motorsport applications because it can be manufactured to a precise shore hardness and remain at this level even under constant use and exposure to harsh conditions. In motorsport, repeatable and predictable behaviour is essential for race performance, something polyurethane provides, meaning it is the ideal material over rubber.

Aquaseal Rubber can provide polyurethane plastic for your motorsport needs

Applications used in motorsport are different to other automotive applications because they must withstand higher temperatures, extreme vibrations and harsh environments for long periods of time. By knowing what causes rubber to deteriorate, a common alternative for these applications is polyurethane plastic.

At Aquaseal Rubber, we work with clients across several industries to provide bespoke rubber or polyurethane parts. We can design, manufacture, supply and install polyurethane plastic in any shore hardness to align with your project’s specifications.

Contact us to see how our team can support your project in motorsport or in the wider automotive sector.