F1 champion details damning F1 car weight concern

Jenson Button has insisted it will be difficult for the sport to shed the amount of weight being demanded while still using the hybrid power units.

The weight of F1 cars has risen substantially over the last couple of decades. They are already 100kg heavier than the 2014 challengers that saw the debut of the turbo-hybrid power units.

A frequent complaint from drivers has centred around the rising weight, making them challenging to drive in certain areas, particularly through low-speed corners.

Although the weight of the cars in 2026 is set to decrease by 30kg, 2009 F1 champion Button states it will be a tough task to scale back to the weight of pre-2014 cars.

“Not with the hybrid power units, it’s very difficult,” Button told media including RacingNews365. 

“Obviously, the hybrid system is heavy, but also you have to lengthen the car. It’s much bigger because of that.

“We were at 600 kilograms with the driver back then [in the 2000s], so over 200 kilos [lighter]. And normally F1 teams say that 10 kilograms is three-tenths. So you work it out, it's a lot of lap time.”

Button: 'A massive grin on your face'

Button's comments came after he drove his Williams FW22 from 2000 around the Silverstone Circuit over the British Grand Prix weekend.

While the 44-year-old is pleased to see F1 pushing technology into the current challengers, he highlighted his soft spot for the older generation of cars.

“It [the added weight] means that these guys have had to strap on so much downforce, so much power to be quicker than what the cars were back then,” he said.

“It puts a lot of load into the tyres, which means we struggle with tyres a little bit.

“I love that we're pushing technology and that's what F1 is all about, but when you see those cars go around and you hear them go around, it puts a massive grin on your face.”