F1 Minimum Weight Rule for 2019 Season

For the 2019 season, the F1 Commission has come up with a plan to adopt a new minimum weight limit for the drivers. The subject of an F1 minimum weight limit was among several points discussed by the Formula One Strategy Group in London yesterday. However, it lacked the unanimous support needed to change the rules in time for the start of the 2018 F1 season. Fortunately, unanimous agreement isn’t required to change the rules for 2019. So the proposal was put forward to the F1 Commission, who agreed to adopt it for next year.

The F1 minimum weight limit is set to be 80 kilogrammes. Any driver who weighs less than that will be required to carry ballast taking them up to that level. This will allow driver and car weights to be handled separately by the regulations. This was a necessity because other rule changes has increased the minimum weight of F1 cars. It placed taller drivers at a disadvantage. Even the HALO’s addition to the 2018 F1 cars has significantly increased the weight of the safety structures around the cockpit.

A driver weight rule was not clubbed with the minimum car weight until 1995. That was the year that the minimum car weight was increased by 80kg to 595kg including the driver. The Strategy Group also discussed further changes to the size and position of driver identifications and numbers. They also discussed revisions to the race weekend programme but agreed to no changes for the 2018 season.

This rule will benefit drivers like Nico Hulkenberg, Romain Grosjean, Esteban Ocon and other taller drivers. Because of increasing car weights, the drivers themselves had to trim down to maintain the weight advantage. Losing too much weight can take a toll on a driver in races like Bahrain where the drivers sweat a lot and it could affect their health.