Grosjean: Minimum driver weight rule will 'make life an awful lot better'

Romain Grosjean says that he believes the new rules regarding the weight of drivers is a “great thing”. From the start of next season, the drivers will be weighed with their seat and driving equipment and then ballasted until they reach a minimum weight of 80kg. 

In the past, the rules regarding the weight of drivers have made it very difficult for the taller drivers in the field, as they have had to go on extreme diet plans in order to meet the weight requirements. The new rules aim to make it fair for all drivers, with Marcus Ericsson and Esteban Ocon good examples of the type of driver this will benefit.  

Grosjean said: “I think it hasn’t been great to starve ourselves and not eat as want to, so a few kilos of margin is going to be great. It will be a challenge for the team, because getting to the minimum weight for the regulation with the 80 kilos seat and driver together is going to be tricky. But on the other hand it’s going to make our lives an awful lot better.” 

Grosjean is not the only driver with an opinion regarding the minimum weight, with both Daniel Riccardo and Fernando Alonso expressing their support for the changes.  

Riccardo said: “A lot of us now tend to starve ourselves on race weekends. Even training, we can’t really do much strength training because we would just put on mass. I think it will just allow us to train harder, eat more. But it’s not like we’re going to have beer bellies or anything, we’re just going to be stronger and I think that’s only a good thing.” 

Alonso added: “I’m obviously not one of the tallest, so it’s more a question for the tall guys. I think it’s fair for everyone, so I think it’s good. In other series, in WEC in particular, where the weight is free, that normally gives and advantage to the lighter and smaller guys, and probably that is unfair in a way, so I think Formula 1 is doing great on that.”