“It is reported that all teams exceed the minimum car weight”, — write: sport.ua
According to the source, some teams already exceed the established minimum weight by more than 15 kilograms. At the same time, on paper, the cars of the new regulation were supposed to become lighter by 30 kg, but the reality turned out to be different – primarily due to much heavier power plants.
Each extra 10kg on an F1 car costs about 0.3-0.35s per lap, and 15kg costs about 0.45-0.55s. In today’s reality, it can mean the difference between pole and Q3 and an early exit.
The new engines, which will receive an increased electrical component, significantly complicated the task of the engineers. As a result, teams are forced to look for reserves in other chassis components to compensate for the excess weight.
In order to reduce the weight of the cars, the teams are actively introducing modern materials and technologies. In particular, lightweight carbon elements, carbon-titanium suspensions and other engineering solutions aimed at optimizing the design are used. Despite this, the problem of excess weight remains a common headache for the entire peloton on the eve of radical changes to the regulations.