The experiment with the cooling vest system during the Singapore Grand Prix has led to considerable division among Formula 1 drivers. The system consists of a cooling tank with cold fluid that flows through a special cooling vest via tubes, to regulate the driver’s body temperature. Although the system is intended to prevent overheating in extreme conditions, several drivers criticize its comfort, effectiveness, and especially the potential mandatory implementation in the future.
During the last Singapore GP, a heat warning was issued by the FIA for the first time, making the cooling vest system mandatory on every car. “I don’t like it,” said Max Verstappen after the hot race weekend. “I don’t like those tubes running over your body. Some say it’s a bad design, but I don’t even think that’s the biggest problem. The cooling vest should just be an option. Some people like it, others don’t. It should remain a personal choice.”
The Dutchman mainly points out the practical limitations of the cooling system. According to him, Formula 1 cars are simply not designed for such applications. “In a GT car, you have more space for this kind of thing, but in our cockpits, there is hardly any room. Where are you going to put the dry ice then? And after fifteen, twenty rounds the effect is gone anyway – then you have hot water running through the system, or maybe even just tea,” he joked.
Fierce Criticism
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri also does not see the cooling vest as an ideal solution. “It’s fine when it works, but when it fails, it’s actually worse than no cooling at all,” said the Australian. “The initiative is good, but as Max (Verstappen) already said: it should be a choice. There are advantages, but also clear disadvantages.”
Lewis Hamilton was even more outspoken. The Brit calls the idea of a mandatory cooling vest downright excessive. “They keep saying it’s about safety, but no driver has ever died from overheating during a race – except in the past, when flames were involved,” he said. “It’s just getting ridiculous.”
