The FIA announced new rules for Formula 1 two seasons from now, just before the Monaco Grand Prix. The cars will be a little shorter and narrower than they are now. They will also be 30 kilograms lighter, which is good news for drivers. Drivers have been asking for lighter cars because heavier ones are less enjoyable to drive.
However, some teams are already struggling to make their cars light enough to meet the rules. Running overweight costs them time on the track. Max Verstappen, who has won the world championship three times, is worried that reducing the weight by 30 kilograms will make things even harder for teams.
“It’s going to be very tough with the way things are now,” he told Motorsport.com. “Some teams are already overweight. So, reducing the weight by another 30 kilograms… I’m not sure if that will be perfect.”
Verstappen thinks they need to reduce the weight by at least 100 to 150 kilograms to make the cars more enjoyable to drive. But he knows it’s not easy because the engines and batteries in the cars are heavy and take up a lot of space.
“Right now, it’s just wishful thinking, but that’s definitely what we need to make the cars more agile and more fun,” Verstappen said. “Safety improvements have added a lot of weight, which is good, but I think we can find ways to do things a bit differently. It all depends on the rules that are written.”
The new cars won’t have DRS (Drag Reduction System) anymore. Instead, they will have active aerodynamics and an electrical override that drivers can use. Verstappen isn’t sure how effective this override will be.
“I haven’t seen how well it works yet,” he said. He even made a joke about needing bananas and a red shell, like in the video game Mario Kart.
While the new rules will make the cars a bit smaller and lighter, Verstappen and other drivers still think there’s more that can be done to improve the driving experience in Formula 1.
