The height and weight of a driver in Formula 1 can dictate the adjustments the team makes to a car to try and fulfill the vehicle’s maximum potential.
These details impact how much ballast will need to be added to a car and how that is positioned in the car to help with weight distribution.
How does height affect F1 drivers?
The FIA, along with the taller drivers on the grid, have been working to improve regulations on car dimensions to prevent most drivers from being at a disadvantage. This is because a shorter driver means teams can reduce the dimensions of the cockpit, as long as they are the minimum size of 850mm long by 450mm wide.
The FIA has made progress towards equalising the grid by ensuring that heavier drivers are not penalised for their naturally heavier weight. This came in 2019, when F1 introduced an 80kg minimum weight limit for drivers, which includes their helmet, race suit and shoes.
Before this rule came into place each team could tell drivers the specific weight they needed to be, which often led to drivers weighing less than what is considered “healthy”.
Who is the tallest F1 driver?
The tallest F1 drivers on the 2024 grid are Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon who are 1.86 metres tall (6ft 1in).
The Williams driver has said that being tall has its disadvantages, explaining: “In our sport, being taller only hinders you. These cars are built to be as compact as possible. The cars are designed not for 6ft 2in athletes. They’re designed for 5ft 7in, 5ft 8in preferably. [Those drivers] fit much better in the car right now.
“[Taller drivers are] kind of arched over. Your knees are touching the top of the car. Your hands are in the way of your feet. So, it’s all tricky. You get put in a position that’s, to be honest, very uncomfortable.”
Ocon shared that the junior racing categories and his start in F1 were “difficult” because of his height, revealing that his practice time in the Lotus designed for Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado was a challenge, adding: “I was super-high in the car. That was just legal, but tricky. The centre of gravity makes you high. You are not comfortable with your knees when you turn.”
The Frenchman also faced issues in his Manor car when he made his F1 debut mid-way through the 2016 season, which meant the car was designed for Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto. Ocon said his suit would be black at the end of each race, due to the cockpit scratching his…
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