The new F1 technical regulations for the 2022 season meant an increase in the minimum weight from 752 to 795 kg, caused, in large part, by the new 18-inch tires and the improvement of the safety elements of the chassis.
However, teams have struggled to meet that minimum figure, as they had to use heavier-than-expected parts, such as the wheel hubcaps, and this has led some to resort to stripping paint from their cars. to try to save weight.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told the 2022 season opener in Bahrain that his “best guess” was that both his team and Red Bull were “probably the most overweight” of the ten cars on the grid. .
After losing to Charles Leclerc ‘s Ferrari at Sakhir, Max Verstappen scored Red Bull ‘s first victory of the year in Saudi Arabia, after seeing teammate Sergio Pérez take his first career pole position.
The energy drink group’s adviser, Helmut Marko , acknowledged that the RB18 was still overweight, and that they needed to focus on reducing that number to remain competitive with the weight advantage they have at Ferrari.
The Austrian manager said that the challenge Red Bull faced in reducing the weight of the car was the budget limit, which limited the areas to work: “It is much more difficult to reduce the weight because of the cost limit.”
“You have to calculate more precisely where the technical development is, where the weight reduction and reliability are, and then you have to find the right balance,” Marko said in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com sister publication Formel1. of.
“But one thing is clear, you won’t be able to be at the front this season if you’re overweight,” the Milton Keynes team adviser reaffirmed.
The teams cannot spend more than 140 million dollars (around 125 million euros) this season due to the budget limit, which puts Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, who are the three giants in current F1, in trouble.
The Austrians and Italians have been the ones who have set the pace of this start of the year, with a victory each, but the development will be greater than usual with the new regulations.
One of the teams that is known to be approaching the minimum weight is Alfa Romeo , which has had a very competitive start to the campaign, and this is reflected by putting both of its cars in the points zone in Bahrain.
Asked if he thought Alfa Romeo was the only car that was not currently overweight, Marko said: “From the information we have, and especially from the insistence with which they oppose adding weight, it is certain that they are not. .
“Allegedly they also have a shorter wheelbase, I can’t judge that, but together with the Ferrari engine, that explains the performance they have now,” said one of the Milton Keynes team official.
