Ferrari driver James Calado has revealed that he was hospitalised with malnutrition early on this yr’s World Endurance Championship marketing campaign because of his efforts to drop extra pounds.
The Briton has disclosed that he grew to become “correctly in poor health” after the Qatar season-opener as he strived to beat the efficiency drawback that comes with carrying additional kilogrammes within the WEC’s Hypercar class, which doesn’t embody the driving force within the minimal weight of the automobile.
“I used to be sick this yr as a result of I misplaced a lot weight – I went to hospital after Qatar with malnutrition,” he defined. “I used to be on medicine as a result of I used to be operating and never consuming, attempting so exhausting to drop extra pounds.
“It is too harmful for me to go all the way down to the burden I would like.”
Calado defined that he’s “70-something kilos” and that might lead to a efficiency drawback of as a lot as half a second a lap on a daily circuit to a driver who weighs 20kg much less.
“I’d love to have the ability to qualify, however I am too heavy,” he mentioned. “I’d love one thing to make it extra equal like karting or in different championships.
#51 Ferrari Af Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Picture by: Shameem Fahath
“It is not straightforward to handle as a result of it is endurance racing – three drivers per automobile, two in others – I do know that, however let’s try to do one thing.”
Calado’s revelation comes at a time when there’s a push to mitigate the benefit that operating lighter drivers brings.
BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos revealed to Motorsport.com that he has raised the problem with the FIA and the Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest, which collectively run the WEC.
“There must be compensation for driver weight as there was prior to now in LMP1 and we’re pushing for that,” he mentioned.
“We should not get to a state of affairs the place the producers are searching for the lightest drivers; there must be a state of affairs the place each driver might be aggressive.
“That is additionally a security matter: drivers attempt to drop extra pounds, however that is endurance racing so it may be harmful.”
James Calado, Ferrari AF Corse
Picture by: Nikolaz Godet
ACO technical director Thierry Bouvet admitted that the concept is being mentioned, however burdened that no choice has been made.
“When individuals have concepts, we and the FIA have a look at the professionals and cons and see in the event that they have to be adopted or not,” he mentioned.
A rule launched in LMP1 for the 2015 WEC season elevated the minimal weight of a automobile through which the typical weight of its two or three drivers was lower than 80kg.
Three drivers with a mean weight of 75kg needed to carry 5kg of ballast of their automobile, for instance.
The rule did not take away the benefit a lighter driver had over heavier co-drivers however equalised the vehicles throughout the grid.
The vehicles of Method 1 drivers who weigh lower than 80kg of their racewear have to hold ballast to deliver it as much as the 798kg minimal.
The Hypercar technical guidelines for 2025 have already been accredited and revealed however might be modified with the unanimous help of the producers.
