George Russell doesn’t believe that the size of the current Formula 1 car is an issue after Fernando Alonso claimed they were too big.
In recent weeks, the ever-increasing weight of F1 challengers has been discussed, with some drivers critical over how it is impacting drivability.
But Alonso stated that their size is a bigger issue.
“I think it’s more the size of the cars than the weight of the cars, which makes things a little bit more difficult,” the two-time World Champion said.
“Overtaking, fights into the first couple of corners in the race, it is difficult now to position the car, just because the size of it, not because the weight of the car.”
Alonso is the only driver on the grid that drove in the V10 era when the cars were substantially smaller and lighter.
For the new cycle of regulations that are set to come into play in 2026, the sport is targeting shorter and lighter challengers.
However, Russell says that the size of the current generation is only tricky around narrow circuits such as Monaco.
“I think there are two factors: one, performance, you want the lightest cars possible for pure enjoyment of driving the cars,” he said.
“I mentioned it before about the safety aspect, making the cars safer, but they go heavier and heavier as well.
“If you’re doing 100 miles an hour, but you’ve got a car that weighs the same weight as a bus, and you crash into something versus a smart car, the bus is going to do more damage.
“This is where the engineers within F1 and the FIA need to find the perfect compromise. I don’t find the size of the car such an issue, it’s only Singapore, Monaco that you really feel the size of them.
“I think they look cool to be honest when I compare with the smaller hybrid era cars. I still think probably the 2004 era or 2007/8 was the best-looking cars.
“Perhaps it’s a little bit too big, but I don’t feel strongly [about it].”
