Fernando Alonso has called on F1 and the FIA to reduce the size of cars rather than the weight as concerns over racing excitement in the sport continue to grow. The Aston Martin driver is the only driver on the grid to have raced in F1 since before 2007 when cars were much slimmer, shorter and lighter. A number of safety innovations have been made over time, as well as the introduction of new technologies including V6 turbo-hybrid power units, which have added to the weight of cars. The sizes have also been affected, with designated architecture limiting the ability to slim down in order to include crash structures. This can be best seen in the knuckle at the front of Mercedes' now-ditched zeropod concept. A number of drivers up and down the grid have called for a reduction of weight in the next regulation set to aid the driving sensation and the ability to race other cars, with the current machinery maligned for a lack of agility.
Difficult to reduce weight
Countering his rivals, Alonso told media, including RacingNews365.com : "I don't think it will change the show much. It is more the size of the cars than the weight of the cars which makes things more difficult. "Overtaking and fights into the first couple of corners in the race, it is difficult now to position the cars because of the size, not because of the weight. "It is going to be difficult to significantly reduce the weight of the cars. The hybrid engines will always be heavier than normal engines and the safety on these cars is a lot higher as well. "I know there is some interest in going in that direction, let's see what they can do. It will always be welcome, it is always fun to drive light cars. "But it is more the size of them which makes racing a little more difficult."
Most read
