Max Verstappen has expressed his disagreement with the FIA’s consideration to make the cooling vest rule mandatory by 2026. This year, for the first time, the governing body has issued a heat warning for the Singapore GP, obliging teams to install the cooling vest system on their cars. Whether the driver actually wears the vest is currently a matter of choice, but this is set to change in 2026. “And I totally disagree with that,” says Verstappen.
The FIA has issued an official heat warning – a ‘heat hazard declaration’ – for the first time for the race weekend in Singapore. Temperatures above 31 degrees Celsius are forecast for the entire Grand Prix weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. As a result, teams are required for the first time to install the cooling vest system on their cars, although drivers can decide whether or not they actually wear the cooling vest during the sessions. Drivers who choose to leave the cooling vest in the garage must carry half a kilogram of ballast. The FIA hopes this will ensure a level playing field.
Max Verstappen is certainly not a fan of the latest innovation from Formula 1. “I’m not going to wear it,” the Dutchman tells the media in Singapore. “I don’t really suffer from it and it gets warm anyway. A bit of sweating is okay and the vest gets warm after fifteen to twenty minutes anyway. So it’s of no use.”
Compulsion
Furthermore, the Dutchman also disagrees with the vest becoming mandatory in the long term. “I just think it should be an option, that you can choose whether you want to wear it or not,” Verstappen tells Viaplay. “This season it is still the case, but not next season at the moment. And I totally disagree with that. That’s a bit ridiculous. It’s ultimately about your own safety and how you feel with it. They shouldn’t make it mandatory, I think.” The FIA told Motorsport.com that it is not yet certain that the obligation will come in 2026.
