FIA Targets 80kg Weight Reduction for Future Formula 1 Cars

The minimum permitted weight of Formula 1 cars has increased significantly over recent years, resulting in increasingly heavier machinery. The FIA recognises this issue and intends to gradually reverse the trend by making the cars more compact and reducing their overall weight. However, achieving a substantial reduction is challenging due to the complexity of modern car designs, power units and existing financial constraints.For the 2026 season, the minimum weight of a Formula 1 car has been set at 768kg, which is 32kg lower than the previous year's figure. However, the FIA does not consider this reduction to be the final objective.FIA Director of Single-Seater Racing Nicolas Tombazis explained that the governing body would like to achieve a much greater reduction in weight under the next generation of technical regulations. “We would like the cars of the next generation to be approximately 80kg lighter. In the future, there may be an opportunity to reduce their weight even further. Our long-term objective is to create smaller and lighter Formula 1 cars.The reduction achieved for 2026 represents an important step forward, but we do not consider the work complete or believe that we have reached our ultimate goal. There is still more to do, and we intend to continue working towards further weight reduction,” Tombazis said.