Formula 1 increase 3kgs weight for cars in 2022

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Formula 1 increase 3kgs weight for cars in 2022

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Formula 1 team increase the minimum weight 3kg for 2022 Cars

 

Formula 1 teams have reached a last-minute deal to increase the minimum weight of their cars by 3kg for 2022 as they strive to get closer to the limit.


The car-plus-driver limit has been increased from 752kg to 795kg this season to reflect a shift to 18-inch wheels and the introduction of new safety features.


However, despite the increase, it is difficult to limit the teams to this extent.


An unexpected factor was the need to reinforce the ground effect floor, which in initial tests was found to be more susceptible to damage and deformation than in previous tests.


Formula 1 chief executive Ross Brawn admitted on Thursday in Bahrain that the teams face a daunting task.
Hitting the weight limit with these cars will be quite a challenge," he told F1 TV.


"After the terrible accident at F2 in Spa a few years ago and the accident with [Romain] Grosjean and one or two other things, there are a lot of new safety measures. So the weight limit or the weight of the car, it's raised.”


As teams face the additional burden of cost caps, there are calls for the limits to be raised further to reduce the need for them to spend extra money on weight loss programs.


Although some asked for a higher figure, the 3kg increase was eventually agreed to avoid punishing those who were closer to the limit than others.


The change must now be officially approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.


"I guess everyone is overweight," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said. "Everyone is trying to find out how overweight everyone else is actually, so there's been a small step.


"Part of the game for us is to decrease weight. What's different this time is the cost cap, which has been raised. But as long as it's the same for everyone, weight loss or not, we're okay with that."


"And I don't think rising weight is ever good for movement and speed. So there’s been a discussion, and we're talking about increasing the minimum weight by 3kg.


I think it's a good compromise between all the teams. But I don't think we should keep improving because, after all, as Toto said, it's a very competitive field.


"I think in the future we should try to reduce the weight of cars, not increase them."
 

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