A motorsport car has quite an amazing weight. From Formula one car to rally car to Indy car, the amount of weight carried in these cars are enormous and stunning for one to believe that such fast speed cars can have such weight and still do such incredible speed.
Let’s think like a scientist, and a safety manager of a car racing competition would do for a moment. A scientist wants to strike a balance between high speed and stability. He wants to see how the response from the car acceleration picks the car at a safe speed to move on any terrain. For the safety manager of the car racing championship, he wants to entertain, yet keeps his champions alive, and he wants the cars to be safe!
The entertainment part addresses racing car accessories that can give it fantastic speed per lap. This leads to using aerodynamic accessories in the car including engine and body part to allow the car to defy air in motion which equals to more speed. But, we all know that too fast a car means increased chances of fatality in case of an accident. The solution is increased weight to control the amount of possible speed a racing car driver can travel in a game.
Therefore, in the automobile industry, the more the weight, the less is the speed. The automobile engineers bring weight control to play using an increase in vehicular load as a control measure to reduce the speed dynamics of racing cars.
Let's consider three racing cars’ weights including F1 car, Rally car, and Indy car weights in this regard!
How much is formula one car weight?
For the 2018/2019 FIA racing year, Formula 1's car weight will increase again going higher in additional weight of 91kg, and with a full tank and driver’s weight at the take-off of the car in a race, it will have a total weight of over 838kg. The F1 car weight increase since 1961 from about 500kg has continued to go up along the year until this latest one which does not promise to be the end.
For the 2018/2019 FIA racing year, Formula 1's car weight will increase again going higher in additional weight of 91kg, and with a full tank and driver’s weight at the take-off of the car in a race, it will have a total weight of over 838kg. The F1 car weight increase since 1961 from about 500kg has continued to go up along the year until this latest one which does not promise to be the end.
How much an Indycar weighs?
Without the fuel tank and driver’s weight, the weight of an Indycar is about 1,620 pound which is approximately 735kg. The Indianapolis named the racing car like its F1 car counterpart is using weight limit to control excessive speed because the weight above does not include that of the driver and fuel which is bound to add extra kg to the total weight at the start of the race.
Without the fuel tank and driver’s weight, the weight of an Indycar is about 1,620 pound which is approximately 735kg. The Indianapolis named the racing car like its F1 car counterpart is using weight limit to control excessive speed because the weight above does not include that of the driver and fuel which is bound to add extra kg to the total weight at the start of the race.
How much a rally car weighs?
As for rally cars, the regulated weight is too heavy where Group A (A8) rally cars weigh 1230kg minimum. Rally cars are endurance racing cars, and the load is considered killing for a car that will travel many kilometers in a championship. In WRC regulation starting from 2017 we are looking at 1175kg as a minimum weight for rally cars.
As for rally cars, the regulated weight is too heavy where Group A (A8) rally cars weigh 1230kg minimum. Rally cars are endurance racing cars, and the load is considered killing for a car that will travel many kilometers in a championship. In WRC regulation starting from 2017 we are looking at 1175kg as a minimum weight for rally cars.
As mentioned above, weight regulations are necessary for FIA racing championship to match safety with speed. F1 cars are aerodynamic which gives them the ability to defy air resistance as they travel. The engine horsepower is nothing you have ever seen in conventional vehicles. Meaning, these cars will practically fly without a speed limit. You can’t trust a driver who wants to be the next champion to maintain the speed limit. The best way to control the excess speed it to increase the load on the car!
About the fastest car in Motorsport you can read here