Ever since the new formula was introduced in 2014, driver weight has been an issue. That year presented a particular problem as the new heavier power units meant that drivers had to lose weight in order to compromise.

Last season, amidst concern that drivers were taking risks by shedding too much weight the limit was raised by 10kg, and whilst the issue appeared to go away it clearly hasn't.

Speaking at Red Bull's livery launch earlier this month, team boss Christian Horner said that Daniel Ricciardo needed to lose weight, a comment that many didn't take too seriously until, the Australian confirmed that Horner's comments were not tongue in cheek.

"I'm getting there," said the Australian. "So far I've lost just over three kilos and I've got about two more to go.

"It is not fun," he continued, "but if I thought it would be a real challenge I would not have got the weight off. I know I can do it and hopefully get myself there. It is not only weight I put on over Christmas because I didn't put 5kg on.

"We are quite tight with the weight of the car and we have been advised to be a bit leaner than last year," he admitted. "So it will be more like 2014 for us now."

Ricciardo is one of the tallest men on the grid, but there are taller including Max Verstappen, Jenson Button, Jolyon Palmer, Kevin Magnussen and Red Bull teammate Daniil Kvyat, not forgetting that giant of F1, at 1.84 metres, Nico Hulkenberg. Hulk by name...

Indeed, Kvyat didn't help Ricciardo's cause at the London livery launch when he joked that he had lost 25 kilos.

Speaking in Barcelona yesterday, Carlos Sainz admitted that the push to lose weight - teams claiming that a kilo can be worth as much as 0.2s - is compromising his health and his ability.

"How do you tell a driver to perform at his highest level while taking into account that he needs to lose three or four kilos?," the Spaniard told Reuters. "It's one thing against the other. You turn up to a test wanting to be as strong as possible but you cannot be as strong as possible because of weight loss.

"There are new parts, more aerodynamic parts in the car which means more carbon fibre," he added. "A longer wheelbase so the car is a bit longer which makes it a bit heavier."

Revealing that he needs to shed three or four kilos, Sainz cited the example of Jean-Eric Vergne who was hospitalised after the season opening Australian Grand Prix in 2014 having been left weak by his weight loss programme.

"It's a bit drastic," said Sainz. "Maybe we have to discuss it. I heard really drastic things from Jean-Eric, what he had to do. It's not safe and not the right way to go. We like to be fit and thin, that's our job, but it's not our job to be extremely skinny."

Revealing that he has lost two kilos, Verstappen told Reuters. "I'm still growing in terms of strength because I'm only 18. Then you do the training and at the end muscle is weight. So it all gets a bit more tricky. I am 68 or 69kg now but it's quite hard if you are 1.8 meters. And in general the whole family is quite strongly built."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by ryanhellyer, 26/02/2016 16:31

"Forcing teams to use balast at a mandated height could potentially mitigate this issue. There could be a section of the car, perhaps behind the drivers seat, where the balast could be stored. If the driver is super light, then they'd have to carry say 20 kg back there. If the driver is super heavy, then perhaps they'd need no balast at all.

Keeping the balast off the floor bottom will help a lot, as if it's at a drivers normal center of gravity, there would be virtually no penalty in being under or over-weight."

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2. Posted by Rock Doc, 26/02/2016 15:07

"I agree, there should be a standard weight for drivers. If they are under then they carry ballast to make up the weight, if they are over then they are over.

As long as the weight is set correctly then the differences between drivers shouldn't be a problem.

"

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3. Posted by edllorca, 26/02/2016 14:03

"AS usual f1 has their brains tuned off. You have a minimum weight for the car and you have a separate minimum weight for the driver otherwise the teams will always push the driver to unreasonable levels. This method would also allow taller drivers with talent would then have a chance."

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Drivers concerned at weight loss demands

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