Overview

• Max Verstappen says wearing the cooling vest should remain a personal choice, citing discomfort, intrusive tubing, cockpit space limits, and short-lived dry ice cooling.
• The FIA flagged Singapore as a heat hazard and required teams to install vest-ready hardware, with use optional this season but targeted to become compulsory in 2026.
• GPDA director George Russell reports mixed results by venue, noting satisfactory runs in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia but reduced effectiveness in hotter Singapore conditions.
• Teams have cut cockpit temperatures with relatively small packaging changes, such as relocating hot-running electrical boxes and hydraulic lines away from drivers’ feet.
• FIA single-seater chief Nikolas Tombazis says officials are considering keeping vest use voluntary for 2026 pending GPDA discussions and further medical evidence.