Why do F1 drivers lose weight during a race? All you need to know about the physical challenges the drivers face

F1 is a physically demanding sport. It requires immense core strength for drivers to endure all the forces they go through during a race, facing unreal challenges. However, those challenges are sometimes undermined because the true nature of racing behind the wheel can be hard to understand.

Formula 1 drivers are known to lose around 3 to 4 kilograms (between 7 and 9 pounds) of weight after every race. This is mainly because of the physicality of the sport, which can include a lot of factors.

Driving a Formula 1 car is vastly different from driving a usual sedan or a road car. The drivers have no comfort facilities, and the speeds are unimaginably high, even on the sharpest corners. The cockpit of an F1 car gets incredibly hot because the engine is situated right behind the driver, which generates extreme heat. Moreover, the driver goes through extreme g-force on high-speed corners, which sometimes measures more than 5 g, which is enough to hinder one's heart's ability to pump blood to the brain.

The drivers go through these forces for hours on end, multiple times during a lap, which makes F1 an extremely tough sport. Moreover, all the heat from the driver and the engine heats up the cockpit to around 60ºC (140ºF), close enough to a hot sauna. Moreover, in circuits with more humidity, such as Singapore, the situation can get worse, making the driver lose weight during the races.

F1 continues to be an extremely demanding sport, and with the developing cars and technologies, it is only expected to get faster in the future, which could make it even more difficult. More famously, drivers were close to fainting and had to be taken to the hospital after the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix because of the extreme weather.

To tackle these physical demands, the drivers are given high-intensity training, which helps them develop their core strength. But the focus is given to the neck to tackle the g-force while driving.

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When Lewis Hamilton revealed losing time in F1 races owing to his body weight

Hamilton during the 2023 F1 Qatar Grand Prix (Source: Getty Images)

F1 teams aim to create their cars as close as possible to the minimum weight as it helps them to have the most speed on straights. However, the weight of the car also accounts for the driver's weight. Understandably, if the drivers are heavy, that would add to the overall weight of the car, and they could lose time, potentially hindering their chances of a competitive finish in the long run.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton once discussed this on The Graham Norton Show. The Briton revealed that if he is overweight, he could lose about 2 seconds of lap time during the length of the race.

"If I'm a kilo overweight I can lose up to two seconds in the race distance, so my weight is very important and also I lose up to four kilos in the race in an hour and 45 minutes," Hamilton said (01:55 onwards).

The FIA states that F1 drivers are mandated to have a minimum weight of 80 kg (around 176 lbs), which includes all their accessories (helmet, gloves, boots, etc.), adding to the car's weight. If the drivers are below that limit, additional weight is added to the car to match the minimum requirements.