rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
The weight of F1 cars has been a point of discussion for years. However, this must change in 2026 because the FIA wants the F1 cars to be no less than 50 kilograms less heavy.
Compared to 2009, the F1 cars became almost 200 kilograms heavier (F1 cars are becoming heavier and heavier: this is how the minimum weight evolved). F1 pilots have increasingly expressed criticism in recent years because, in addition to being heavier, F1 cars have also become longer and wider. This alone makes it more difficult to overtake and of course also affects the driving behavior of the cars.
In recent years, criticism has often fallen on deaf ears, but in conversation with ‘Motorsport.com’ Nikolas Tombazis, head of single seaters at the FIA, explains that in addition to active aerodynamics that should reduce air resistance on the straights, there is also a weight reduction looks.
The new generation of F1 cars in 2026 would, in addition to being lighter, also finally be a lot smaller.
“With the dimensions of the wheels, which will be narrower, plus the rear wing and the car in general, we are aiming for a weight saving of around 50 kilograms,” Tombazis told ‘Motorsport.com’. “So we may see smaller formula cars: shorter and narrower. But we are now talking about solutions that still need to be discussed further.”
“By putting the car on a diet, we can reduce the cornering speeds somewhat. And lighter cars go faster on the straight, but generate less aerodynamic pressure. That is why we must increase hybrid energy recovery to achieve adequate lap times.”