Heavier F1 cars to accommodate taller drivers, Sainz understands

For several seasons, in addition to the total weight of the car, a different measure is applied to drivers, their equipment (suit, flame-retardant underwear, helmet, HANS system) and their seat. Currently, the set must reach a minimum weight of 80 kilos. If the 80 kg are not reached, they must be compensated by ballast, placed in a place on the car determined by the FIA, to limit the advantage that small and light drivers could have, who could also adjust the behavior of their car via additional weight, placed in strategic locations. This minimum weight will be increased to 82 kg next year, following a modification approved by the Commission F1 recently.

This point of regulation was added a few years after the adoption of hybrid power units, which had significantly added weight to Formula 1 single-seaters. The minimum weight was gradually raised accordingly, but some drivers had to comply with rigorous diets during the off-season, and others, like Marcus Ericsson, even had to do without a drink bottle during the race, in order to keep the weight of the car as low as possible. If the tallest pilots are still above this minimum weight, they must now make fewer sacrifices so as not to lose too much performance against lighter pilots. Carlos Sainz is not particularly delighted with this new weight gain, and a barrier crossed for the first time, that of 800 kg.

« IIt is obvious that two kilos do not represent a big change. The problem is when you start adding two kilos on top of two more, two more, two more... I think that's the trend in Formula 1 over the last ten years - keep adding two kilos per- here, three there, five there, and then the cars passed the 800 kilo mark. In the past, the minimum was set at 600.”

Taller drivers at a disadvantage

The Madrilenian, however, understands the reasons behind these changes. Although he is not among the tallest drivers on the grid, he too has in the past had to monitor his diet more than necessary, and potentially slow down his training pace, in order not to exceed the minimum weight indicated. by the FIA.

« JI had to be careful about the amount of muscle I gained and the food I ate. But I have always been on the limit of this weight. I can imagine being a Nico [Hulkenberg], an Esteban [Or with] or a [George] Russell, I wouldn't be very happy if I was taller than 1m80. So I understand that this was probably done for the heavier or taller riders, because they always struggled a little more than average sized riders like me. »

The 2026 regulations should bring back this downward trend, with cars that are shorter, narrower and therefore, in principle, lighter. Carlos Sainz hopes that a weight reduction could be permanent, the kilos having also been added due to new safety features on single-seaters.

« Work continues for 2026. At the same time, I think that this weight has made the cars safer because there are a lot of impact structures and a lot of work on driver safety, and I will never deny that I want that safety to be as high as possible. But anything we can do to reduce weight, I think every rider will appreciate it. We hope that the FIA ​​and the teams will take this into account when developing future rules, and not just those for 2026."

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