The Weight Issue

[truefan72]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113257

I have to completely agree with Sutil
and I am wondering why the FIA have simply not just upped the limit without the drivers consent. besides why would they need that anyway?
Doing so makes sense on many levels
for one, drivers won't have to be forced into an unhealthy lifestyle like they currently are, or forcing teams to select "jockey" drivers thus leaving out plenty of talent
I remember Kubica 2009 I think looking emaciated because of the weight issue, others like Chilton look like a slight wind will knock them over
There used to be a time when drivers where health and of different weights and heights
The increased weight gives teams a bit more flexibility and breathing room with the cars' design and functionality
and most compelling...nothing gets lost on both the fans perspective and the quality of racing

all massa wants is an unfair advantage and he should be at least honest about that

[steveaki13]

I think the answer to this is to have a set weight for the car and a set weight for the driver.

So the car is a certain weight and then a weight which is heavier than the largest driver in F1 is added to the car. By driver and then ballast to bring small drivers up to the heavier drivers.

Otherwise a situation like horse racing comes in, when only tiny guys can race.

[driveace]

I think the answer to this is to have a set weight for the car and a set weight for the driver.

So the car is a certain weight and then a weight which is heavier than the largest driver in F1 is added to the car. By driver and then ballast to bring small drivers up to the heavier drivers.

Otherwise a situation like horse racing comes in, when only tiny guys can race.

You get the same thing in rallies.A lot of navigators who are bulky or heavy are overlooked for a lightweight navigator,which is understandable ,as it's no good having a lightweight car and a 16 stone navigator

[Mintexmemory]

You get the same thing in rallies.A lot of navigators who are bulky or heavy are overlooked for a lightweight navigator,which is understandable ,as it's no good having a lightweight car and a 16 stone navigator

Exactly what Henning Solberg did - sacked Cato Mekerund and signed Ilka Minor - about a 20kg difference and he didn't need to diet!!!

[rjbetty]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113257

I have to completely agree with Sutil...

...All massa wants is an unfair advantage and he should be at least honest about that

That is completely true true. This is an issue I have always been very conscious of since I myself clock the scales at 87kg. Since this is due to height, there´s not much I would be able to do to lose much in a driver´s situation.

I can´t see any reason for the weight limit to not be raised, except for selfish conflicts of interest.


Incidentally, I´ve always felt one main reason why drivers like Massa and Sato seem ´fast´ is very much due to their tinier weight and size. I imagine it must be a huge contributor to their performance and have always been interested to understand more on this.

[truefan72]

That is completely true true. This is an issue I have always been very conscious of since I myself clock the scales at 87kg. Since this is due to height, there´s not much I would be able to do to lose much in a driver´s situation.

I can´t see any reason for the weight limit to not be raised, except for selfish conflicts of interest.


Incidentally, I´ve always felt one main reason why drivers like Massa and Sato seem ´fast´ is very much due to their tinier weight and size. I imagine it must be a huge contributor to their performance and have always been interested to understand more on this.

indeed

unfortunately it didn't work out for davidson, who given his weight should be in a good car right now lol
I recall this being one of the factors in teams not considering hulkenberg. who IMO should have been in that 2nd Mclaren seat.
I think Hulkenberg and Sutil will be the last "bulkier drivers" we will see in F1, and its a shame.
There probably are a bunch of really good drivers out there who will not get a sniff at an f1 seat in the foreseeable future because of these stupid rules

[Storm]

Agree on the weight issue...it should never be the criterion rather than actual driving talent..but with such rules it will be :s

[Big Ben]

It's totally ridiculous what happens now in F1.... It's not like with horses where what can they do? The horse has a certain weight and the jokey can only add to it... i don't follow the sport but I imagine it's like that :P. anyway, in F1 they could make the cars just as heavy as they want to... we see perfectly fit people like hulkenberg avoided by teams because of their weight. But what are we wasting our time for... what has F1 to do with common sense these days?

PS Massa is just a pathetic little man... always was. No one should turn his back to that character.

[Tazio]

In the end the drivers don’t have any formal say in any attempt to change the rules as they are not part of any process.

The FIA has been looking into a 10kgs change, but one senior team boss told this blog that Mercedes has blocked the plan.



A proposal to simply lift the mandatory weight limit further was discussed at the strategy group and Formula 1 Commission meeting in Paris on Monday, but rejected, according to the BBC

Because the proposal was to raise the limit for 2014, it needed an unanimous vote, but correspondent Andrew Benson said that Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus all declined.


Read more http://grandprix247.com/2013/12/10/formula-1-teams-block-moves-to-increase-car-weight-limit-for-2014/
Massa has no formal say in the matter, and Williams wasn't one of the teams that blocked the late offer to change.
This is another case of poor planning by the FIA.

From 2015, the minimum combined weight of car and driver will be raised by 10kg to 701kg.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/25870646
It would not have been fair to teams that had nailed the balance of car only to change the formula at that late date. As for 2015 anything more than 10kg for would probably drastically alter the car.
A bit of a mess after the fact really

[Whyzars]

... I myself clock the scales at 87kg. Since this is due to height...

I have been trying to reach my ideal height for years. :D


Sspecify that a minimum of 100kgs of ballast be installed above the steering wheel line - less the driver weight.

The more of the 100kgs in the lower positioned driver the less weight needed above the steering wheel line. The teams will be stuffing their drivers with cream buns and spaghetti before every race.

[steveaki13]

That I believe is the answer Whyzars

[janneppi]

The problem with just raising the minimum weight is that teams would still pressure drives to be skinny and place the ballast where it would help the most. IMO a more sensible option would be to have a minimum weight for driver + seat, maybe 80-100kg combined and seat ballast allowed only on the back area.

[truefan72]

The problem with just raising the minimum weight is that teams would still pressure drives to be skinny and place the ballast where it would help the most. IMO a more sensible option would be to have a minimum weight for driver + seat, maybe 80-100kg combined and seat ballast allowed only on the back area.

a very sensible solution

[journeyman racer]

All the F1 engineers will be furious if janneppi joins the FIA technical committee.

edit: That idea is so good, I'm disappointed I didn't think of it myself.

[rjbetty]

So, do we think the weight issue is a fanciful excuse, or is it really so bad that 10kg is losing 0.3sec or whatever per lap, there and then?

If so, it seems terribly unfair doesn't it?

[MacFeegle]

Drivers bitch and moan.

Ideal weight is low down so COG is less. I think there is a minimun total weight so heavier drivers will always be disadvantage.

Also, drivers dont make or veto rules. Silly

[MacFeegle]

Plus its up to designers to make car as light as possible. Chapman v Enzo all over again

[mmbmz3]

Let’s throw this weight hat into the ring for the Red Bull differences. Daniel is 1.8m (5’10”) tall and weighs 68kg (149.9 lbs) where Seb is 1.76m (5’9”) tall and weighs 58kg (127.8 lbs). Seb and Dan are about the same height, but Dan outweighs Seb by more than a stone. I believe the extra 20 lbs that Dan is carrying is actually giving him an edge. According to the chart at the Gym, Seb is underweight (even on the women’s scale) and Dan is just under average for his height. Just a thought.