Overview

• Race director Rui Marques informed teams that all cars must be fitted with a functioning chiller, reservoir, pump and heat exchanger for the Singapore weekend.
• Drivers may either wear the chilled undershirt or accept roughly five kilograms of compensating ballast if they decline to use it.
• Several drivers report mixed views, with some citing discomfort or poor fit while others plan to use the system for relief in the expected heat and humidity.
• Technical risks remain under scrutiny, including kinked tubing in tight cockpits, connector interference with belts and potential heat-exchanger failures that could circulate warm fluid.
• The measures follow heat-related incidents at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, and the cooling vests are slated to become mandatory in 2026, turning this weekend’s choice into a tactical factor.