FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem outlines KEY DEMAND for future F1 cars

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem — Photo: © LAT Images

Formula 1

FIA chief Ben Sulayem outlines KEY DEMAND for future F1 cars

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says future F1 cars must be lighter

Dan McCarthy

Monday 12 June 2023 05:57

FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem thinks F1 must find a way for cars to become lighter in the future, particularly ahead of 2026 when there is a cycle of new engine regulations.

Cars currently run at a minimum weight of 798kg which is around 200g heavier than in 2008 when batteries and the kinetics energy recovery system (KERS) was introduced.

The addition of the halo safety feature in 2018 added to the weight and new regulations last year which saw bigger tyres and ground effect cars have also raised the weight of cars.

The new breed of F1 cars are extremely heavy

Speaking to motorsport.com, Ben Sulayem said he wants to see cars carrying less weight in the future, partly for environmental reasons as F1 looks to cut its carbon output.

“One thing I would like to see is very clear: we need a lighter car.

“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.”

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Ben Sulayem has support from others

F1 cars are extremely quick after the ground-effect rules came into force last year with the intention being to create closer racing so there are more overtakes.

However, that has led to cars carrying more weight and there is a vast difference now from ten years ago.

George Russell, who is one of the directors of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association which seeks to look after the welfare of drivers, is in agreement with Ben Sulayem's aims and believes the additional weight compromises on safety.

Russell has previously expressed concerns about safety

“The weight is extraordinary,” he told Motorsport.com. “At the moment, the low-speed performance is not great.

“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.

“You’re going to have a greater impact if you’re going the same speed with a car that weighs 800-odd-kgs or over 900kgs at the start of a race, compared to one 15 years ago when they were at 650kg.