James Allison, the Technical Director of Mercedes, has called for Formula 1 to halt and reverse the “inexorable upward trend” in car weights, urging the sport to make cars lighter. Over the past decade, the minimum weight of an F1 car has increased significantly, from 642kg in 2013 to 798kg in 2023. This added weight has had a negative impact on the excitement of racing, particularly at circuits like Monaco, where the size and mass of the cars make overtaking extremely challenging.
Recognizing the issue, Formula 1 aims to address the weight problem with the next set of regulation changes in 2026. Both Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, and the heads of the FIA have expressed their desire to make the cars lighter. However, Domenicali acknowledged that it is a complex problem to solve, requiring innovative solutions.
Domenicali stated, “We used to think of F1 in terms of light cars. The weight-to-power ratio has always been a determining factor. It is clear that today, between the hybridization and the safety systems, weight is an issue that I would like to be able to manage better to give the drivers a lighter car. But it will take a great magic wand.”
While safety remains a priority and reducing weight introduces challenges in that regard, teams are open to shedding a few kilograms in order to enhance the quality of racing. Mercedes’ James Allison concurred with Domenicali’s sentiment, highlighting the need to arrest and reverse the trend of increasing car weights.
Allison emphasized, “I strongly agree with Stefano, and he’s not alone in thinking that this sort of inexorable upward trend in weight is something that has to be arrested and then reversed. Year-on-year, [the cars] were getting heavier. It isn’t super trivial to get the weight moving in the other direction. It is particularly tricky to dream up technical rules that are going to make the car much lighter.”
The forthcoming regulation changes in 2026 will primarily focus on the power units, with an emphasis on greener and more cost-effective F1 engines. Allison suggested that the FIA and Formula 1 should place the responsibility on the teams to develop solutions to reduce the weight of the cars, thereby contributing to more exciting and dynamic racing in the future.
