Ferrari Sporting Director Diego Ioverno has warned that Formula 1
should not lose sight of making cars safer amid the push for
lighter machines. F1’s new set of technical regulations to be
introduced in 2026 will herald a fresh start in terms of
aerodynamic and engine specifications, although one concern from
drivers has been the increasing weight of cars. Since the start of
the 2014 campaign and the current turbo hybrid era, when F1 moved
away from relying solely on combustion engines, cars have become
100kg heavier, although this is also due to safety improvements,
such as the halo. As a result, cars have become more difficult to
drive in slow-speed corners with drivers such as Lewis Hamilton
expressing concerns that the brakes were reaching the limit in
terms of being worked too hard. Ferrari issue warning Ioverno has
asserted that F1 shouldn’t lose sight of ensuring the safest
possible cars in pursuit of lighter machines. “I think drivers, all
in all, would like to have a smaller car because they think,
rightly so, that would be more fun to drive, possibly quicker,
lighter, as it was in old times,” he told media including
RacingNews365. “Everything is possible. It’s just a matter of how
you define the technical regulations. “We have to remember that our
main target is always the safety of drivers. “So there are again, a
lot of discussions between teams, FIA in the Technical Committee,
to set rules that can make also drivers happy, not only teams and
fans. “It may happen, it’s not defined yet. Everybody will be happy
to have a quicker car, easier to handle, to give a better show. So
discussions are ongoing.”
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