The real reason why F1 drivers are weighed after races as fans spot practice at Bahrain Grand Prix

Formula 1 is full of extraordinary statistics and improbable data points.

F1 has its scientific and technological expertise fine-tuned to an incredible degree and the numbers involved in pushing the limits of speed throughout the long F1 season are barely believable.

It's a sport of detail and fine margins, each one analysed and tweaked to produce every possible competitive advantage.

After Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, which McLaren's Oscar Piastri starts from pole position, F1 teams and officials will pick through the statistical bones of the race to make sure everything is in order, from the rules and regulations that must be followed to the engineering minutiae that could offer tiny improvements ahead of the Saudi Arabia GP next weekend.

Perhaps surprisingly, every driver will be weighed after Sunday's race and both race officials and teams will be interested in the results.

So, why are F1 drivers weighed 'like market pigs' after each race?

In short, it's because their weight matters in a couple of ways.

According to Racing News 365, the weight of F1 drivers is measured to ensure fair competition:

"The weight of the driver affects the total weight of the car. Hence, there is a minimum weight for both drivers and cars to encourage fair competition on the track. Weighing the drivers after a race ensures they still meet the F1 minimum weight requirement."

F1 has enforced a minimum weight restriction of 80kg on its fully kitted out drivers since 2019. If a driver doesn't weigh enough, the difference is made up by adding handicap weight to the car.

McLaren driver Lando Norris is the favourite to win the Bahrain Grand Prix. (Image: Getty)

Drivers are weighed after races because they must still meet the minimum weight requirement after the significant weight loss that occurs in the car in the often scorching temperatures of the F1 circuits.

In addition to the heat of the engine, "the brakes produce heat up to 1,000°C," says Red Bull.

"The aerodynamic design of the car actually directs heat into the cockpit [and] there is a lack of airflow inside the cockpit itself."

Dehydration is a huge factor. Red Bull reports that Singapore, a particularly humid circuit, can result in a weight loss during the race of between 3kg and 4g.

Or, to put it more graphically, "about four litres of sweat."

F1 teams are also militant about the health of their drivers, of course, and the weigh-in is naturally a key part of the post-race health analysis too.