‘Impossible’ and ‘wishful thinking’ – drivers weigh in on key F1 2026 car target

Some of the leading F1 drivers have expressed concerns over just how the sport intends to reduce the weight of the cars for the new F1 2026 regulations.

Heading into the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, the FIA announced its intentions with the new chassis regulations for 2026 – these regulations being built around the already confirmed power unit regulations which see a change in focus to increased electrification alongside the internal combustion engine.

Max Verstappen: Losing weight is going to be very tough

With the new power units set to be more complex versions of the current 1.6-litre V6 hybrids currently in use, the need to maintain F1’s speed means the aerodynamic regulations have needed significant revision to compensate for the drop in power.

This has included the introduction of active aerodynamics and a desire to introduce smaller, lighter machines which will see the wheelbase reduced by 200mm, and the cars become 100mm narrower.

Downforce levels have been slashed by some 30 per cent, with a drag reduction of 55 per cent in order to balance out the lower top speeds.

While the regulations are being met with some unease across the F1 paddock, several of the drivers have spoken out to say the desired weight drop of 30 kilogrammes is a step too far to be achievable.

“At the moment, that is going to be very tough, I guess with how everything is. But let’s see,” reigning World Champion Max Verstappen said in Canada.

“I mean, even now, some teams are overweight, right? So, to go even 30 kilos less, of course, I know that the dimensions change a little bit, but I’m sure that let’s say 30 kilos will be the perfect scenario… let’s say like that.”

Put to him that the ideal figure to actually properly compensate for the engine change would be more along the lines of 100-150 kilogrammes, Verstappen agreed but said such figures are unachievable.

“At the moment with how everything is, no. It’s not possible,” he said.

“That is also to do with the engine, right? Engine, battery related, it’s very heavy and long and wide.

“At the moment, it’s wishful thinking, but that is definitely what we need – to make it more agile and probably a bit more fun.

“Of course, safety added a lot of weight which of course is good, but I’m sure that we can do things a little bit differently, but it depends on the regulations that you write.”

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Two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, who will race in his fourth power unit regulation cycle after making his debut during the days of the normally aspirated 3.0-litre V10s back in 2001, said he would be more in favour of simplification of the regulations.

“I think it is impossible probably to achieve 30 kilos already,” he said.

“If the power unit is 50 per cent electric and you need the batteries to support that, cars will just increase 20 or 30 kilos because of the power unit.

“And then you want to reduce 30 [kg] – you need to drop 60 kilos of the current car, which is the same as at the moment, probably to the teams [it’s] an impossible target.

“They have two years to achieve that target and, as always in Formula 1, what is impossible in 2024 will become reality in 2026 because there are very clever people in the teams. But I think all is a consequence of something else that is in the cars.

“I think it should be simpler, it should be maybe just pure racing and just more down to the drivers and to the team and a specific setup at a specific racetrack – remember in the past more freedom on the design of the cars.

“Some Formula 1 cars, they had six wheels, just to give an example. At some tracks, maybe it benefits you and some others you will get hurt.

“Same when we had Michelin and Bridgestone tyres in 2005. Maybe a difficult season for Bridgestone, if Michelins were better, maybe rain here in Montreal and the intermediate tyres are great for Bridgestone and all their cars could win the race and be on the podium.

“So I like that kind of freedom that you can choose something. And it’s not just dictated everything by the regulations. But this is a personal point of view – everyone will have theirs, and I’m happy, I will adapt. the most important thing is that you have the fastest car. And that’s what we need to work on.”

While Alonso is eager to see the regulations simplified, Alex Albon also expressed his scepticism over just how F1 plans to make the cars lighter than they currently are at a time when even the current 798kg isn’t within reach for some teams.

“Let’s see. I mean, lighter, but they’re making the teams make them lighter,” Albon said when asked about the proposed new weight targets.

“I don’t know what parts of the regulations allow them to be lighter. I don’t know the details about it.

“I don’t know if they’re giving us lighter Halos or lighter wheels or whatever. But I don’t think that weight comes for free, it’s more of just a commitment from the team to try to get down to that weight.

“The size of the cars, I think is the right direction. Not speaking negatively about it. I just think there are positives and negatives around the whole thing.

“It seems to be that to recover what this engine regs are creating, it means that everything becomes extremely complicated. The whole aero path we’re gonna go down with all this, I’d rather just have it more simple engines, a little bit more standardised parts in the engines and just return to a more basic regulation.”

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