Motor Sports
Why F1 Drivers are Weighed After Racing: Key Factors in Racing Regulations
Why does every F1 driver get weighed after crossing the finish line? The reason might surprise you. We investigate in depth the reason drivers are weighed after races.
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Formula 1 drivers are weighed after a race because they lose weight during races due to dehydration.
The reasons for weighing are thus primarily for health, but two-pronged as well because a driver must meet the minimum Formula 1 weight requirement.
These requirements are put in place to ensure fair competition. The car’s weight is also considered along with that of the driver. We explore the key factors behind these regulations.
The Minimum Weight of a Formula 1 Driver
A Formula 1 driver’s weight at a minimum must be 80kg, not above or below. Either scenario will result in adjustments having to made.
The drivers weight not only encompasses his body weight, but that combined with the race helmet, shoes and race suit.
The regulation has been in place for five years since 2019. Weight will be added to the car if the driver does not meet the weight requirement, however, there are penalties incurred.
A Formula 1 Cars’ Minimum Weight
From year to year the weight regulations of a Formula 1 car change. The minimum weight requirement of a Formula 1 car has remained unchanged from 2023 though, but it’s set to change in 2025.
In 2023, the weight was increased by three kilograms to 798kg primarily because some teams failed to make the previous requirement of 795kg.
2025 will see a divergence from the weight increase of 2023 to accommodate the new rules for next generation cars. The requirements are expected to take effect in 2026.
The weight of the cars is expected to be reduced to a minimum of 768kg, down 30kg from 798kg. It will be 772kg of the car plus driver and an estimated 46kg of tire mass.
The Average Weight a Formula 1 Driver Loses After a Race
Drivers lose weight because of the amount of sweat they experience in the cockpit. This is attributable to the heat and body suit if we may factor that in as a contributing factor.
On average Formula 1 drivers lose around two to three kilograms after a race and probably more in places with higher humidity.
The 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is one of the instances were heat levels reached dangerous levels for drivers.
The FIA allows cooling systems in the cockpits to cushion the heat for the drivers, particularly so for driving in more humid locations as a safety measure.
Formula 1 drivers drink through long straws after a race to rehydrate. This helps with overhydration by limiting the amount of water intake per sip.
Why are Formula 1 Drivers Weighed After a Race?
Drivers get on the weighing machine as soon as they get off their cars to have someone check their weight and take note of it. It’s a compulsory procedure as per the prescripts of the FIA rule book.
We can identify two primary reasons for this procedure. One is of course for the health of the driver as the sport is extremely physical. Some may disagree but it is.
Secondly, the combined weight of the car and the driver must be at the required level as prescribed in the FIA’s rule book.
As we have noted above, the required weight of the car as of 2023 is 798kg and the drivers overall 80kg weight is factored into that sum.
Instance Where a Driver Was Disqualified Because of Weight
Mercedes driver George Russell was found to have been light on weight after winning the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
The victory was handed to fellow Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton after a rule citing that a cars weight must always be at 798kg, this is without fuel.
Without getting into the overly technical rules, Russell’s car was found to have weighed 796.5kg, that’s 1.5kg off the required mass.
Sebastian Vettel had a similar disqualification with Aston Martin at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, albeit with slightly different weight rules due to the yearly changes, with the same principles though.
Lewis Hamilton Baffled with Weight Loss in Formula 1
At first glance or upon first hearing, we don’t think many people would think Formula 1 drivers lose weight after a day’s shift because not many think the sport is physically intense.
However, the high speeds that drivers experience with the sharp turns that often jolt their bodies in opposite directions, require them to be physically fit.
Greats such as Lewis Hamilton with hundreds of races under the belts cannot for the life of them explain where the weight goes after the race.
The Brit, in a podcast interview with Jay Shetty, expressed how he failed to answer such a question as was posed to him by a close friend.
FAQs
It depends on the conditions but on average drivers lose around two to three kilograms.
It is necessary to do because of the weight they lose in the process. The rehydration process must be measured in increments though.
Additional weight is added to the car to meet the combined weight requirements of both the driver and the car.
Logan Sargeant retired through illness following the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where extreme heat was a major factor.
Jimmy is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and has a Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies. He’s a sports fanatic of several sporting disciplines which he is well versed with.