Following an interesting request from our valued moderator, El_Bando, and a recent response from a trusted colleague, here's a list of current F1 drivers' weights. As was discussed in the aftermath of the Japanese Grand Prix (see Weight Distribution…(etc), Japanese Grand Prix Race Thread, not606), drivers' weight is set to become a bigger factor for 2014, with heavier drivers being further disadvantaged. Body weight has for a long time been quite a challenge for many drivers, but next year the task becomes even more difficult, since the weight of the new power units appear set to be heavier than expected – but this is not being offset by an increase in the minumum overall vehicle weight. The net result for the heavier drivers will be a raising of the centre of mass (technically more accurate than centre of gravity), whereas the lighter drivers gain advantage of having more ballast to keep the Cm low – and yet another advantage of being able to position this extra with further enhancement of handling characteristics. (I should stress that this list is unofficial but believed accurate at time of writing) Red Bull Vettel 58kg Webber 75kg Lotus Räikkönen 62kg Grosjean 71kg Mercedes Hamilton 71kg Rosberg 71kg Ferrari Alonso 68kg Massa 59kg McLaren Button 72kg Perez 64kg Sauber Hulkenberg 74kg Gutierrez 61kg Force India di Resta 74kg Sutil 72kg Toro Rosso Ricciardo 64kg Vergne 73kg Williams Maldonado 65kg Bottas 70kg Caterham Bianchi 68kg Chilton 65kg Marussia Pic 61kg van der Garde 73kg
Thanks cosi, much appreciated. After a brief look there is no definite correlation between weight and performance. Intact the heavier driver seems to be doing better in many cases. Some interesting notes though on the huge difference at red bull and the identical weight at Mercedes. Having similar weight between drivers must make it so much easier for teams to set up and design cars.
Yes. This is one of the most salient points. Also, the cases where the heavier driver is doing better suggests two primary conclusions, either or both of which warrant consideration: a chassis deliberately designed to offset the problem, or that the heavier driver is actually more talented!
This might sound like a stupid question but why do drivers like Hamilton do weights a lot when it's not really needed and it adds to your weight in the car? Surely the best route would to just try to get to Vettel's weight (If you are of comparable height) and just forget the weights.
I'm 6ft, pretty skinny, and weigh more than most of the grid. How these drivers have the physique to drive an F1 car, and still weigh 10kg less than me, is beyond me! Has Vettel had his legs replaced with carbon fibre bionic ones or something?
No way is Vettel's weight correct there, that would give him a BMI of 18.7, compared 22.2 for Webber. You only have to look at the two of them to see who's the healthier weight. According to James Allen he Vettel weighs 64kg which seems far more realistic.
Nah it is correct, Vettel just focuses on stamina and toning in his training and pretty much ignores strength "muscle size". Vettel's 2 strongest muscles on his body are his neck and his finger!
Well that took an unexpected turn... I wonder how much Mansell weighed. The tash and eyebrows alone must weigh more than Vettel.
Depends what kind of muscle mass you're building. Obviously if you go bodybuilding, then you're going to have problems, but if you do high-rep low-weight work, then you'll build up muscular endurance without putting on too much muscle mass.
Fitness. Fitness is much more important than being light and is absolutely essential for every driver. Consider undergoing repetitive G-forces (up to 5G) for up to 2 hours, at cockpit temperatures which can exceed 50˚C. This is an absolutely essential aspect of all race driving but is at a premium in F1. Also, upper body strength is very important. Both of the above are important but fitness is absolutely vital. Hahaha⦠Well, if using your potty can make a difference of more than 1 kilo, I'd say you're pretty exceptional! Yeah, this really is the point. All the more amazing when you consider that Button, Alonso and Webber (in particular, since he suffered very bad leg injuries), require considerable leg strength (far above average) for their penchant for cycling. I'm not going to argue with you, AG; nor for that matter, James Allen if that is what he believes. However, despite my own astonishment, I can only tell you that these figures are from a trusted source. Hahaha, Good response, Silver. I completely agree with the stamina (fitness) aspect of your response to AG, but I reckon you're probably correct on both counts!
I think the worry is that the weight factor will have a much greater effect starting from next year. I hope not, of course; then again, Seb might turn into Karen Carpenter...
with respect to fitness, strength, endurance etc, there are two types of muscle fibre, fast twitch which is for explosive power and speed, which tire quickly, and slow twitch which is more endurance oriented. The only muscle I'd say they needed an abundance of strength in is the neck, the rest would be endurance. Take runners, they're using the same muscle groups, but sprinters use fast twitch and endurance slow twitch, and the long distance runners are always far skinnier than sprinters * * insert over the top response here
