FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali have expressed their shared belief that modern Formula 1 cars, weighing around 800kg, have become excessively cumbersome compared to their predecessors from a few decades ago.
However, the prospect of making the cars lighter has been met with scepticism by driver Fernando Alonso, who pointed out the challenges posed by hybrid engines and increased safety measures.
Alonso argued: “The hybrid engines will always be heavier than normal engines, and the safety features in these cars have significantly increased as well.”
Supporting Alonso’s view, reigning champion Lewis Hamilton added: “Our wheels this year are a ridiculous weight. And there’s just no need.”
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Indeed, the heavier safety features and hybrid power units contribute to the overall weight of the cars, and it is anticipated that the introduction of the 2026 regulations will further increase the burden.
Pierre Wache, technical boss at Red Bull, conceded that the upcoming engines will be “massively heavier” than the already weighty current power units.
James Allison, the recently returned Mercedes technical director, acknowledged the difficulty of drafting technical regulations that will result in lighter cars for 2026.
However, he proposed a straightforward solution: “The way to make them lighter, I think, is to lower the weight limit and make it our problem.
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“If cars exceed the limit, it forces us all to make difficult decisions about what we include in our vehicles and what we don’t.”
Despite Allison’s proposal, not everyone in the F1 community agrees with his perspective.
“But I think that’s the most guaranteed way to put downward pressure on the weight of the car,” he acknowledged.