YEONGAM, South Korea – Formula One teams say next year's weight rules for cars could push taller and heavier drivers out of the sport, and the chances of it being revised are unlikely because that would require consensus within the notoriously divided group.
The combined weight limit for car and driver will be raised by 48 kilograms (105.82 pounds), from 642 kilograms 690 kilograms next year, but the 2014 cars — which require radical changes to accommodate V6 turbo engines — are likely to be more than 50 kilograms (110.23 pounds) heavier than existing models so, in effect, the allowance for drivers will fall.
While the car-driver combination can legally be above the limit, teams try to keep as close to the mark as possible, as every kilogram extra costs about three-hundredths of a second per lap on an average circuit.
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