Formula 1 teams go to great lengths to make their cars as light as possible. There is now a trend to omit paint. Because, as F1 teams have calculated, every extra 10 kilos results in a loss of 0.3 seconds of time. Not that they immediately save 10 kilos, but still. It's annoying that a hunk of meat comes and disrupts everything. After every race you see the drivers walking past the FIA to be weighed there. Why do F1 drivers have to be weighed after every race?
In the past, smaller drivers had the advantage that they were normally less heavy. Anyone who has ever played a game of karting with their friends knows what we are talking about. This has been corrected since 2019 by setting a minimum weight for drivers. Drivers must weigh at least 80 kilos with their seat and complete racing equipment.
The drivers' first weigh-in moment is at the beginning of the season. 'The weight of the driver with his seat and driving equipment will be determined by the FIA technical delegate at the first competition of the championship.' This is the driver's reference weight. If this is less than 80 kilos, ballast is added.
What if drivers are under the minimum weight?
It is up to the teams to ensure that the drivers do not weigh less than 80 kilos. To check whether the teams adhere to this, the F1 drivers must be weighed after qualifying and the race. If the driver is literally found wanting or the rule is otherwise violated, the FIA official may issue a grid penalty or even disqualification to the driver.
In addition, the drivers are weighed to see how much weight they have lost during the race. And losing kilos can be very expensive, such as at the Qatar GP. It was so hot and the humidity was so high that Sargeant even had to give up. According to F1, the drivers lost between two and four liters of fluid, burned 1,500 calories and lost up to five percent of their body weight.
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