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50m ago

Drivers Push Back on FIA Cooling-Vest Plan as Singapore Gets First Heat Hazard

The device is optional this season with ballast for opt-outs as the FIA reviews a possible 2026 requirement.

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Max Verstappen has spoken out about the FIA's plans to make cooling vests mandatory in 2026. Image: XPB Images
Formula One F1 - Singapore Grand Prix - Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore - October 4, 2025 General view of the circuit during qualifying REUTERS/Jeremy Lee
Max Verstappen

Overview

  • The FIA declared its first Formula 1 heat hazard for the Singapore Grand Prix, requiring teams to fit the car-side cooling system while leaving vest use optional for 2025.
  • Drivers who choose not to wear the vest currently carry an additional 0.5kg of ballast to maintain competitive parity.
  • Max Verstappen said he will not use the vest in Singapore and called making it compulsory “ridiculous,” citing discomfort, limited cooling duration and cockpit packaging issues.
  • Lewis Hamilton echoed that the vest should remain a personal choice, while George Russell reported benefits from using it at earlier hot races; Carlos Sainz favors keeping it optional and Oscar Piastri remains unconvinced.
  • The FIA says any mandate from 2026 is under consideration rather than decided, with further consultation underway following a split drivers’ briefing in Singapore.