FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is advocating for lighter cars in Formula 1, claiming that leaner machines would not only be safer but also more fuel efficient.
The introduction last year of Formula 1's new technical regulations spawned a generation of ground effect cars, but the cganges were also accompanied by an increase of the minimum weight, which was set at 798kg or a whopping 46kg higher than at the end of 2021.
Many teams, including champions Red Bull, struggled to produce designs that hit the minimum weight, a constraint due to heavier standard parts, the introduction of F1's 18-inch wheels and new safety structures.
The increase was just another step in a trend that has been ongoing in Formula 1 since the end of the sport's refueling era in 2009.
Earlier this year, Mercedes’ George Russell admitted that the bias towards heavier cars in Formula 1 was leading to safety concerns as an impact "is like crashing with a bus compared to a Smart Car".
"We keep making these cars safer and safer, but obviously the heavier you make them when you have an impact it’s like crashing with a bus compared to a Smart Car,” said the Briton.
"You’re going to have a greater impact if you’re going the same speed with a car that weights 800-odd-kgs or over 900kgs at the start of a race, compared to one 15 years ago when they were at 650kg."
Russell’s words weren’t lost on Ben Sulayem who agrees with the Mercedes driver’s opinion. Furthermore, the FIA president believes that the request for lighter cars from 2026 when F1 updates its regulations is widespread among Grand Prix racing’s competitors.
“One thing I would like to see is very clear: we need a lighter car,” Ben Sulayem told Motorsport.com. “I believe this is better.
“I come from motorsport, where lighter cars are safer and they won’t use the same amount of fuel. It will be hard to achieve, but everybody wants it.
“So I am pushing because I come from rallying, where nothing is worse than having a heavy car.”
Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali, agreed that the current generation of cars’ weight is a topic that will find its way onto the sport’s agenda.
“One of the points that has always been a debate has been the weight,” said the Italian.
“As you know, with the hybrid engines, with the batteries, the weight is getting higher and that is something that is not really in the nature of F1. So, it’s a topic for discussion for the future.”
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