14 August 2023 , 10:17
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Mohammed ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, has acknowledged George Russell's concerns about the weight of Formula 1 cars.
British rising star Russell has made his position clear on the issue, saying it was like "crashing a bus". The minimum weight of a Formula 1 car in 2023 is 798kg including the driver, a rise of 46kg since the end of the 2021 season, and Russell - a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association - has been vocal on the subject.
Ben Sulayem has shared Russell's concerns about car weight in the past, as the sport prepares for new changes to come into force in 2026. Now, the former rally driver has reiterated his stance in a new interview.
"I drove in rallies myself. Give me everything, but please no heavy car!" Ben Sulayem told Motorsport Total. "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."
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"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] wants that too, fine, then we agree on that point. But the FIA has to decide. We'll implement it. Not , because the FOM or a team wants it that way. It's because it's the right thing for the sport."
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George Russell made his position clear earlier in the year (AP)
Russell's concerns about weight were first aired back in January, before the 2023 Formula 1 season got underway. Since then, the 25-year-old - who finished fourth in the overall standings in 2022 - has secured just one podium finish.
"The big one [issue] is the weight," Russell told Autosport in January. "The weight is extraordinary. 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.
"You’re going to have a greater impact if you’re going the same speed with a car that weights 800-odd-kgs or over 900kgs at the start of a race, compared to one 15 years ago when they were at 650kg." Trends have only seen F1 cars get heavier and heavier.
“And I’m sure there’s analysis going on about striking that right balance because I don’t know where the line is drawn. If you just keep making it heavier, heavier, heavier, stronger, stronger, stronger – actually you get to a point where you cross over that [line] that too heavy is actually not safer.”