26/06/2023
NEWS STORY
Two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso believes that the sport should be focussing on the size of F1 cars as opposed to the weight.
Speaking recently, FIA president, Mohammed ben Sulayem admitted that in putting together the rules for 2026, the weight of the cars will be a significant factor.
"One thing I would like to see is very clear, we need a lighter car," he 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," he added. "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."
"One of the points that has always been a debate has been the weight," agreed F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali. "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."
"We keep making these cars safer and safer," said Grand Prix Drivers' Association director, George Russell, "but obviously the heavier you make them when you have an impact it's like crashing with a bus compared to a smart car.
"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 900 kgs at the start of a race, compared to one 15 years ago when they were at 650 kg."
This year, the cars are around 203 kgs heavier than their 2008 counterparts - the year before KERS was first introduced - and 156 kgs heavier than in 2013, the year before the sport went hybrid.
Fernando Alonso, who made his debut in 2001, when his Minardi - and the Renault of two years later - weighed in at 595 kgs, believes it is the dimension of the cars that needs to be addressed.
In 2001, his Minardi was 1.796 metres wide and 4.445 metre long while this year's Aston Martin is 2 metres wide and a whopping 5.5 metres long.
"I don't think it would change much," he replied, when recently asked if reducing the weight would improve the show and make the cars more enjoyable to drive.
"I think it's more the size of the cars than the weight which makes things a little bit more difficult," he continued, "overtaking, fights into the first couple of corners of a race, it is difficult now to position the car, just because of the size of it, not because of the weight.
"I think it's going to be really difficult to significantly reduce the weight because of the hybrid engines, which will always be heavier than normal engines, and the safety on these cars is a lot higher as well.
"I know there is some interest in going in that direction, so let's see what they can do. It will always be welcome and it's always more fun to drive light cars. But at the end of the day, it's more the size of them that makes racing a little bit more difficult."
"I think the dimensions are pretty good," argued Lewis Hamilton. "I quite like the size of the car but obviously there are some places where it is tight.
"I think it is the weight that has definitely gone too far," he added. "Our wheels this year are a ridiculous weight. And there's just no need. We've had light wheels in the past, and then the cars, just the braking zones are longer but I definitely think there's some good changes they can make for the future. It's not my decision, obviously."
"The dimensions of this car, probably have an impact in places like Monaco, where it just gets harder to do racing," said Sergio Perez. "But other than that, I do think that the tyres, the size of the car are probably a little bit too big.
"Although we can follow a bit better, it seems a bit better to protect, defend your position. So I would welcome a lighter car as well but I don't think it's a main issue to me. It's also the size of the car that is hurting a bit the racing side."