The FIA stated that the 30kg weight reduction in the new Formula 1 car for 2026 is an “achievable goal,” despite concerns from various drivers and teams.
Last week, the FIA released the guidelines that will shape the revised technical regulations, which included confirmation that the next generation cars will be lighter and smaller.
With the current weight reaching 798kg in the current ground effect cars, the FIA has decided to reduce it to 768kg as a reasonable first step in the right direction.
However, Fernando Alonso stated that the increased dependence on electrical power in the updated engine formula would make it “impossible” to achieve the intended goal.
Meanwhile, Williams’ Head of Single-Seaters, James Vowles, reiterated his belief in Canada that all 10 teams would be unable to reach that number by 2026.
But even though the FIA’s Head of Single-Seaters, Nikolas Tombazis, acknowledged that it will be a “challenging” goal to achieve, he is convinced that the specified weight is attainable.
“Well, we are determined to reduce the weight of the cars,” Tombazis said. “We have been working with a variety of assumptions based on the work that Jan [Monchaux] has been doing in collaboration with the teams. And we have identified areas where the weight will increase and areas where the weight will decrease. Our goal is based on a challenging but achievable objective.”
However, in light of Vowles’ previous admission, Tombazis revealed that the FIA will continue to hold discussions with the teams to assess possible modifications.
“Clearly, we will still be asking the teams for estimates on the weight savings they can make and so on,” he added. “We are determined to significantly reduce the weight, which is the first time this has happened in Formula 1 since probably the 80s or something like that.”
When asked about the growing rumors that the 80kg allowance for the drivers had been removed from the regulations, Tombazis replied: “No, that is incorrect. The discussion was whether the allowed weight for the driver should be 80 or 82 kilograms. And it was felt that 80 could penalize some of the slightly heavier drivers. So, let’s go with 82 kilograms.”
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, who entered F1 when cars weighed less than 600kg, expressed that the planned reduction for 2026 is not as significant as it could have been.
