JUNE 12, 2023

FIA, F1 chiefs admit cars are too heavy

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali admit that Formula 1 cars are too heavy.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali admit that Formula 1 cars are too heavy.

The minimum car-plus-driver weight has skyrocketed with the move to hybrid power units from around 600kg in 2010 to almost 800kg in 2023.

"Also the bigger wheels, they're quite a bit heavier as well," world champion Max Verstappen said. "So that for me goes in the wrong direction.

"When you jump back in an old car, you definitely feel the difference in how agile an old car was. Before 2010 they were even lighter, right?

"But I don't know what we can do about turning it around," he added.

A good step in the right direction, however, is that the FIA is at least acknowledging that it is a problem.

"We need a lighter car," Ben Sulayem told motorsport-total.com. "It will be difficult to achieve, but everyone wants it.

"I come from motorsport where lighter cars are safer and don't use as much fuel. So I'm applying pressure because I come from rallying, where there's nothing worse than having a heavy car," the FIA president added.

The heavy electric elements of the power unit regulations are only ramping up for 2026 and beyond, but Domenicali agrees with the FIA chief that it's a good opportunity to try to lower the minimum weight.

"One of the points that is discussed again and again is the weight," said the Italian, who admits that heavy cars are "not really in the nature of Formula 1".

(GMM)