In a bid to help F1 cars follow each other and overtake, new regulations have been brought in for the 2026 season. One of the changes is that the cars will be lighter than in previous seasons. The minimum weight for the current season is 800 KG, excluding fuel. This will drop to 768 KG for the new 2026 regulations.
These changes have also been brought in to combat emissions. If a car is powering around a track with less weight, it is consuming less fuel. However, former world champion Sebastian Vettel doesn’t believe that enough has been done and is critical of the weight of the cars next season.
Sebastian Vettel believes that F1 cars will still be too heavy next season
When Sebastian Vettel made his debut in F1 in 2007, the minimum weight of the cars was 605 KG. Now, the cars have to be bigger due to larger fuel tanks since refuelling has been banned. However, Vettel still believes that the 2026 cars should be lighter.
Speaking to Auto Motor Und Sport, the four-time world champion explained: “We’re moving a little in that direction now, but it’s just a drop in the ocean. The cars are far too heavy. They should actually be 200 kilograms lighter.”
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With F1 cars having their weight reduced, it means that less energy is needed to accelerate and maintain speed. This is important as the engines for next season will be an equal split between a combustion engine and electrical power, making them the most environmentally friendly engines F1 has ever made.
Sebastian Vettel says F1 should learn from the mistakes made in 2014
In 2014, F1 began its hybrid era. At that point, they were the most eco-friendly engines the sport had seen. However, they were also the most expensive and complex, meaning not all the technology can be implemented in road cars. Vettel has warned against following down he same path.
He explained: “The 2014 regulations were good in principle. The idea behind them was right. But the implementation wasn’t right. It cost far too much money and didn’t bring anything to the series.”
The four-time world champion is pleased with F1 introducing synthetic fuels from next season, but is wary that it could follow the F1 development race of 2014.
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He continued: “I think climate-neutral fuels are good because there’s a need for them in the world outside of motorsport. For the many vehicles already on the road. For shipping and aircraft.
“What you have to be careful about is the origin of these fuels. If you unleash the development race typical of Formula 1 on them, things can quickly go in the wrong direction, as was the case in 2014.”
F1 is keen to hit carbon net zero by 2030 and is paving the way to achieve this. However, the new regulations have come under fire from some of the current drivers. But will the regulations work? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
