One of the positive aspects of the 2026 all-new Formula 1 cars is that their minimum weight will be 30 kg less than the outgoing generation.But Williams boss James Vowles has warned that most of the 2026 F1 cars will start the new era overweight.The minimum weight of F1 cars has increased by 200 kg over the years with the outgoing cars tipping the scales at almost 800 kg.Keeping in mind structural safety and the fact that the 2026 F1 power units will have a more powerful electric component—meaning a heavier battery—sticking to the mandated weight limit might prove an issue for the teams.
Vowles commented on the matter saying: “It would be good to find out from others where they are, but I think most will be overweight.
“That’s the simple facts behind it. It’s a very aggressive target, but it’s manageable. It’s a number that I can see that will be in a sensible place in five to 10 months after the regulations come out, so I’m relaxed [about it].”
Mercedes head of trackside operations Andrew Shovlin lamented that the decrease in weight was simply forced on the teams without any prior analysis, which will also be an issue as teams need to develop the car, manufacture spare parts, and what have you.
Being overweight interferes with development
He said: “Weight is a huge challenge. The limit wasn’t set by summing components; it was simply imposed. It’s much cheaper to remove weight before parts are made than after cars are built and stock is in circulation.
“Teams in previous regulations were 10 to 20 kg overweight initially, which is costly and interferes with development. Our aim is to start as close to the limit as possible,” Shovlin added.
And while teams are struggling with a 30 kg reduction of minimum car weight, the FIA do not think that is enough and hope for further reduction in the future, which is what the governing body’s single-seater boss, Nikolas Tombazis, revealed.
He also explained that there are other avenues to pursue as the FIA seeks to reduce the cars’ weights even more and said: “We’d all like the cars to be a lot lighter.
“Some of the solutions being mooted [referring to future power units, which may be naturally aspirated] would lead to significantly lighter cars, which is what everyone would like.
“It’s a trade-off between financials, technological freedom and how cutting-edge Formula 1 is, environmental considerations, and excitement.
”We can go towards negating some of the dimensional aspects of cars, but it has to be possible to come back to a car that is simpler than it is now,” Tombazis concluded. (Quotes from Motorsport.com)