Ricciardo: No more strict diets and starving drivers

  • Published on 31 Jan 2019 10:11
  • comments 3
  • By: Harry Mattocks

Daniel Ricciardo says that he believes the new rules regarding the minimum car weight should mean that drivers can take in more calories and become stronger.

In the past, the weight restrictions in the sport have mean that taller drivers, such as Marcus Ericsson and Esteban Ocon, have been at a disadvantage. This is because they have been forced to go onto strict diet regimes in order to reduce the amount of time lost due to the extra weight, and it is even rumoured that Nico Hulkenberg previously lost out on a drive at McLaren in 2013 due to his weight.

With the new rules however, each driver and the seat must weight a minimum of 80kg. If this combination comes in at less that this, the team will be required to fit a ballast inside the car's cockpit to bring the weight of the car up to the 743kg minimum.

Ricciardo believes that this will enable drivers to relax their diet, and be a little less strict with the food they eat.

"Everyone will appreciate their food a little more," said the Australian. “I'm not complaining, but it's just that many of us tended to starve ourselves on race weekends.

"Even in training we could not really work too hard on the strength, because we would have put on mass. This allows us to train harder, to eat more," contends the 29-year-old.

"It's not like we're going to have beer bellies or anything, we're just going to be stronger and I think that's only a good thing."

I am so glad the new regulations cover for this. It was long overdue. It was ridiculous for a driver to be penalized by a couple of extra pounds. Also, it will be great for these guys to look more like athletes. Drivers like Ocon, Webber, Hulkenberg had to be ridiculously skinny.

  • 1
  • Jan 31 2019 - 21:56

Replies (3)

Login to reply
  • Thats a relief. Some of the drivers looked ridiculously skinny back in 2018, to the point where my 185cm tall 74kg heavy shrimpmasked bum would've looked really fat in comparison to some of them.

    • + 0
    • Jan 31 2019 - 21:19
  • I am so glad the new regulations cover for this. It was long overdue. It was ridiculous for a driver to be penalized by a couple of extra pounds. Also, it will be great for these guys to look more like athletes. Drivers like Ocon, Webber, Hulkenberg had to be ridiculously skinny.

    • + 1
    • Jan 31 2019 - 21:56
  • kngrthr

    Posts: 203

    you can't spell "calories" with a small c.
    dietry calories are in fact kilo calories and are spelled with a capital C.
    to avoid confusion please use kiloJules .

    • + 0
    • Feb 2 2019 - 21:42

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

World Championship standings 2023

Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

See full test schedule

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia
31 - Apr 2
Australia
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan
5 - May 7
United States of America
19 - May 21
Italy
26 - May 28
Monaco
2 - Jun 4
Spain
16 - Jun 18
Canada
30 - Jul 2
Austria
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom
21 - Jul 23
Hungary
28 - Jul 30
Belgium
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands
1 - Sep 3
Italy
15 - Sep 17
Singapore
22 - Sep 24
Japan
20 - Oct 22
United States of America
27 - Oct 29
Mexico
3 - Nov 5
Brazil
17 - Nov 19
United States of America
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
3 - Mar 5
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
26 - May 28
Monaco Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
16 - Jun 18
30 - Jul 2
Austria Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy Monza
15 - Sep 17
22 - Sep 24
20 - Oct 22
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
3 - Nov 5
Brazil Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team Red Bull Racing
  • Points 1,043
  • Podiums 24
  • Grand Prix 163
  • Country AU
  • Date of b. Jul 1 1989 (33)
  • Place of b. Perth, AU
  • Weight 64 kg
  • Length 1.75 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Show full profile
show sidebar