FIA is all set to make F1 cars significantly lighter from 2026 onward

FIA has been very active recently when it comes to looking at potential changes in F1.

FIA is all set to make F1 cars significantly lighter from 2026 onward

Mohammed Ben Sulayem (Credits: Planet F1)

Formula 1 has gone through a lot of changes recently and is on track to welcome a few more in the upcoming years. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA President, has made it known that the governing body will do its best to make the F1 cars lighter from the 2026 season of the pinnacle of motor racing.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem ardently believes that making cars lighter is the way to go as far as the future of F1 is concerned. He fully understands that the current cars are already very heavy, and there is no point in continuing with the tradition when the new set of regulations take effect in a few years.

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While discussing the same, Sulayem told RaceFans, “I’ve driven rallies myself. Give me everything, but please no heavy car! That always bothered me. Lighter cars are better and I know what I’m talking about. If the weight is heavier, the suspension is compromised, the brakes don’t work as well, the tires wear out more quickly. And more weight is more dangerous in a crash.“

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In 2001, the minimum weight of an F1 car was 600kg, whereas in 2023, it has gone up to 798. While keeping this in mind, he further added, “I’ve already spoken to my team at the FIA. We want lighter cars and we want a better sound [from the engines]. That’s ultimately up to the FIA. If Stefano [Domenicali, F1 Group’s CEO] 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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Austrian Grand Prix (Credits: F1)
F1 (Credits: F1)

While the FIA is looking to bring a plethora of changes at the pinnacle of motor racing from 2026, the deep-rooted reason behind everything is the interest level of the fans. In recent years, F1 has seen a major hike in fans interest from all over the world, and this is one of the main reasons why the hierarchy wants to make F1 as entertaining as possible.

2022 was the year when the current new set of regulations kicked in, and while the new rules have helped in increasing the interest of fans, the FIA wants to continue with the trend and bring more significant changes from 2026 onward. Lighter cars are being seen as a potential change, and considering that several teams have also in the past complained about it, it seems the logical option.

Moreover, while 2026 is still quite far away, the hierarchy of the sport is not sitting idle, already during the 2023 F1 season, several changes have taken place. For example, the Sprint-Shootout format has been introduced that has received admiration from all corners of the world, change is the name of the game in F1 currently, and it is going to be like this for many years to come.

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