After the Canadian Grand Prix, the Formula 1 series stops to make way for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for this weekend. During the Monaco Grand Prix press conference, the drivers all expressed positive comments about the most famous endurance race in the world. However, the weight issue emerged, raising some doubts among F1 drivers who dream of racing at Le Mans and in the WEC.
Among the drivers involved in Formula 1, the comments on the Endurance championship are all positive and speak of Le Mans as a goal to be achieved. However, the weight issue is daunting and led to an amusing exchange during the Monaco press conference. A question was directed at Yuki Tsunoda from the audience, but he seemed a bit out of the loop. Shortly after, he responded that he might be interested in the championship: “Yes, one day, yes.” Max Verstappen immediately replied that he would want him on his team for a crucial reason, the weight. “Yuki, I need you as a teammate. You’re so light that you’ll fly and compensate for my weight.”
“It’s something incredible and you have to collaborate with the team,” Max Verstappen continued. “Moreover, for me, the weight of the drivers is also an important issue. It seems to me that there has to be a limit because I could weigh 80 kilos with the kit, but there’s also a driver who could weigh 55 or 60 kilos. No offense, Yuki! That’s already a couple of tenths per lap. It’s an incredible difference. So they have to solve the issue. There must be an average or minimum weight to be respected. But surely in the future, I would like to race; it’s an incredible event.” – he pointed out.
George Russell shares the same opinion and doesn’t hide his fascination for Le Mans. “Alex [Albon] and I talked a couple of years ago about doing a GT race or something like that together. But, as Max said, I think that as things stand at Le Mans right now, the championship is so great, but it’s quite unfair for guys our weight. We’re all about 80 kilos with our kit and helmets. And Yuki would have six tenths advantage over us before even starting. So, as I said, I think it’s a very special race.” – he pointed out.
Asked by George Russell, Alex Albon then continued joking about the weight issue. “I think the weight, as everyone has said, will be a disadvantage, and especially taller guys would need to cut off an arm to be competitive. But otherwise, yes, it will happen sooner or later, I believe.”
Finally, Charles Leclerc’s comment arrived, who has learned to know the championship better thanks to Ferrari’s return to the top class with the 499P. The Monegasque also agreed on the weight issue and currently sees a Le Mans adventure as difficult. “Yes, I couldn’t agree more on the weight limit we’ve all talked about. Obviously, I’ve been following the issue for two years since Ferrari became part of the Hypercar category, and even more so this year, as my younger brother started his endurance career in GT. I would love to do Le Mans one day,” Charles Leclerc continued, “but the Formula 1 schedule now is crazy, and we have very little time to properly prepare for a race like Le Mans. But I would love to collaborate with my younger brother to race together at Le Mans one day.” – the Scuderia Ferrari driver concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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