Overview
- The FIA has declared the Singapore Grand Prix a heat‑hazard weekend and allowed teams to fit liquid‑cooled vests while giving drivers the choice to opt out and run with ballast instead.
- Drivers are sharply divided: George Russell urges wider use and wants FIA help, while Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar publicly reject the vests and say they hamper movement or are unnecessary.
- Teams and engineers report clear technical flaws in current vests: the chilled fluid typically lasts only 20–40 minutes, pumps and tubing have failed or become hot, and tubing can be uncomfortable in cramped cockpits.
- The FIA offered conditional extra spending allowances only if a system proves it cools for a full race and fixes comfort issues, and Mercedes said the allowance was too small so it declined the programme to focus on car performance.
- A few teams — notably Williams — report more effective setups, but the split leaves drivers exposed to heat risks and could push the FIA to standardise designs, fund a shared developer, or tighten tests before wider adoption.