Marko in turn criticizes the weight of cars
Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko, has also spoken out to explain his concerns about the increase in weight of the Formula 1 cars. He would like to see a better distribution on the new engines.
Currently, Formula 1 cars weigh a minimum of 798 kilograms, as stated here. This weight is already exceptionally high and is expected to increase even further in 2026 with the introduction of new engines.
Several voices are currently speaking out against this, believing that heavier cars could be more difficult to drive and more dangerous. Helmut Marko, head of the young drivers program and an iconic figure at Red Bull, has also expressed his opinion on this matter. » For him, weight is a safety risk.
« Max’s accident at Silverstone in 2021 could have ended very differently with such a heavy » battery, Marko recalls. « Cars need to become lighter and smaller again. If you need 30 liters of fuel just to charge the battery, there’s something wrong. »
A better distribution?
Because, for the former winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the concern is to find a better distribution between fuel and electricity. « We have synthetic fuels, we could change the combustion engine to a 60/40 ratio, explained Marko to Motorsport-Total.com. « This would be offset by a 7% or 10% decrease in performance of the electric system. », describes the Austrian, who would prefer 60% fuel to 40% electric, rather than the planned 50/50.
Moreover, Max Verstappen had also expressed his opinion on the problematic weight of the cars. He had explained that he preferred the agility of his former single-seaters.
At low speed, it’s a bit like a boat. Recently, the heads of the FIA and Formula 1 have also aligned themselves with this opinion and say they want to work on lighter cars. (Link: “les autorités du paddock veulent alléger les voitures”)
