FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has agreed with Mercedes’ George Russell, who has called for Formula 1 cars to become lighter.
Current F1 cars weigh a staggering 798kg, something which is resulting in the cars generating more energy as they turn.
This actually goes against the governing body pushing for the sport to become more sustainable, whilst Russell has argued that the heavy cars are become unsafe.
Russell compared crashing a car in the current regulations as like “crashing with a bus”, with Ben Sulayem agreeing that lighter cars must return.
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Having been a racing driver himself, Ben Sulayem recognises how unwelcomed heavy race cars are and how they’re the last thing any racing driver wants.
The FIA president knows that “lighter cars are better” and is committed to working with the governing body and F1 to reduce the weight of the machinery used.
“I drove in rallies myself. Give me everything, but please no heavy car!” Ben Sulayem told Motorsport Total. “That always bothered me. Lighter cars are better and I know what I’m talking about.
“If the weight is heavier, the suspension will be compromised, the brakes will not work as well, the tyres will wear out faster. And more weight is more dangerous in a crash.”
“I’ve already spoken to my team at the FIA,” he added. “We want lighter cars and we want a better sound. That’s ultimately up to the FIA.
“If Stefano [Domenicali] wants that too, fine, then we agree on that point. But the FIA has to decide. We’ll implement it. Not , because the FOM or a team wants it that way. It’s because it’s the right thing for the sport.”
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Alongside his racing duties, Russell is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, making him responsible for speaking up amid safety concerns.
He admitted that the current weight of the cars is “extraordinary”, with the weight having increased by 213kg in the last 15 years.
“The weight is extraordinary. 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,” Russell said earlier in the year, as reported by GPFans.com.