75 years ago this week, Giuseppe Farina won the first world championship grand prix at Silverstone in an Alfa Romeo 158 weighing between 650 and 700kg. The minimum weight in F1 was set at 450kg in 1961. Currently, teams struggle to meet the 800kg minimum weight requirement. The difference in weight between now and 1995 when car and driver weight were combined is significant at 205kg.
FIA single-seater director, Nikolas Tombazis, mentioned the desire for lighter cars in F1 due to various considerations. Around 100kg weight gain is due to adopting hybrid powertrains. Safety features like side-impact structures and the halo contribute to an additional 50kg. Some of the weight could be reduced through feasible adjustments.
