RB18 of Verstappen and Perez no less than ten kilograms too heavy

Budget cap causes overweight

In 2022, Formula 1 cars were initially required to weigh a minimum of 795 kilograms, but after nine out of ten teams complained about the low lower limit, it was raised to 798 kilograms. Alfa Romeo is said to be close to the lower limit, but many teams are still too far from it.

This problem is due to the new regulations. Completely new cars had to be designed for 2022 and under the watchful eye of a budget cap. The teams have to be smart with their money and meanwhile build the fastest possible car. These cost savings come at the expense of weight.

RB18 still too heavy

Indeed, according to Marko, it costs a lot of money to make the car lighter. In Sport und Talk on ServusTV, the Austrian discusses the expensive materials that would make the car lighter. Red Bull is now aiming to combine updates with lighter materials. To come up with a lighter material now and then update that part is double work. With the budget cap, that is no longer possible for teams.

Red Bull does need that lighter material, because according to Marko the RB18 is ten kilograms too heavy. On a circuit like Saudi Arabia, that would make between three-and-a-half and four-tenths difference. However, Red Bull is not the only team with an overweight car, so it will not gain that much ground relatively.