© Stephen Reuss for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the FIA is looking to make a rule change after George Russell made public complaints.
Earlier this year, George Russell complained about the weight of current Formula 1 cars. Formula 1 cars now weigh around 900kg at the start of the race. In the past 15 years they have become 213kg heavier.
“The weight is extraordinary,” Russell said at the time.
“At the moment, the low-speed performance is not great… We keep making these cars safer and safer, but obviously the heavier you make them when you have an impact it’s like crashing with a bus compared to a Smart Car.”
Now, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the governing organization is seriously looking at introducing a rule change which would make the cars lighter.
“I drove in rallies myself,” Ben Sulayem told Motorsport Total.
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“Give me everything, but please no heavy car! That always bothered me. Lighter cars are better and I know what I’m talking about.
“If the weight is heavier, the suspension will be compromised, the brakes will not work as well, the tyres will wear out faster. And more weight is more dangerous in a crash.”
“I’ve already spoken to my team at the FIA,” he added. “We want lighter cars and we want a better sound. That’s ultimately up to the FIA.
“If Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO] wants that too, fine, then we agree on that point. But the FIA has to decide. We’ll implement it.
“Not because the FOM [Formula One Management] or a team wants it that way, it’s because it’s the right thing for the sport,” Ben Sulayem concluded.
