Max Verstappen labels FIA’s bids to lighten F1 cars as ‘unrealistic’

Reigning world champion, Max Verstappen counters the idea of lighter Formula One cars

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen

According to the new plans set by the FIA, F1 cars in 2026 are to be “shorter” and “lighter.” The weight of Formula One cars has significantly increased over the years. Many drivers have raised their concerns over this massive weight hike.

Safety concerns are one of the main reasons the FIA is pushing for a lightweight car. 2-time world champion Max Verstappen, however, does not want the cars in the future to go lighter. According to the Redd Bull driver, modern attachments on the car make it impossible to subtract the weight

“Honestly, that’s going to be a bit unrealistic to achieve because otherwise, we wouldn’t have been this heavy anyway, right?,” the Dutchman told Autosport. “Also, in 2026 with the bigger battery, that will weigh a lot more, so I’m not sure if that’s heading in the right direction,” he argued.

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Max Verstappen also mentioned his preference for the 2021 Formula One car, which was comparatively lighter than the current cars. “But I will always be in favour of lighter cars because I already enjoyed the ’21 car more than what we have now in terms of how agile it was.” He called the 2023 F1 cars a “boat” due to their stiff nature.

Also read: F1 Officials rally behind calls for lighter Grand Prix cars to enhance safety, garners strong backing from FIA and drivers

Fernando Alonso highlights car size as a crucial factor impacting racing difficulty

Due to the inclusion of batteries, energy recovery systems, and advanced safety features, the current Formula One car has a substantial minimum weight of 798 kg. This is a significant increase compared to the weight of cars in 2008, which were approximately 200 kg lighter.

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso also suggested a height reduction of the cars instead of weight to make racing more exciting. Alonso is the only driver on the grid who has experience racing pre-2007, where the cars were sleeker and weighed only 600kgs. The Spaniard pinpointed that the size of the car makes racing more complicated.

#F1 is pushing for the introduction of lighter grand prix cars in 2026, amid concerns about the increase in weight in recent times.

The minimum weight has gone up from 585kg in 2008 to 798kg in 2023:https://t.co/YHhBIYC036
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) June 10, 2023

“I think it’s more the size than the weight of the cars, which makes things a little bit more difficult,” he said. Alonso also mentioned that reducing the size of the car is unattainable with the addition of certain mandated parts. “So, yeah, I think it’s going to be difficult to really reduce significantly the weight of the cars, as the hybrid engines will always be heavier than the normal engines,” he argued.

Mercedes star and GPDA director George Russell also has voiced his concern over the increasing weight of the car. With FIA officials and drivers advocating for a lighter car, it will be interesting to see whether Alonso’s and Verstappen’s opinions will be considered.