Drivers cold on new FIA safety device

It is the first time the system has been introduced and several drivers have expressed issues with the implementation of the new safety system after Saturday’s qualifying session.

The ‘Driver Cooling System’ is essentially a fireproof vest adapted so that cold fluid can be pumped through it.

The purpose is to keep the drivers cool and the project first started after the extreme heat of the 2023 Qatar GP caused some drivers to succumb to heat exhaustion.

The safety measure has been introduced for the Singapore GP weekend after it was classed a ‘heat hazard’ - meaning temperatures for the race were forecast at 31 degrees celsius or higher.

The FIA have made it mandatory for each car to carry the equipment, but drivers have been offered the choice of whether to use it or not. If they choose not, their car must be compensated with an extra 0.5kg of ballast.

Cooling vests have been optional throughout the 2025 season, but GPblog understands that the FIA are considering making them mandatory in 2026.

Lewis Hamilton stood firm against the idea that the cooling system should be made mandatory.

Hamilton said: “It's just getting silly now. That should be our choice to have it.

“I appreciate they've made it available to us and we'll continue to work and improve on the system.

“And I think it can be potentially beneficial in crazy hot places, but it should be, if you want to use it because it's comfortable, if not, it should never be like, 'you have to wear this'.”

He continued: “I have tried it, yeah. I might use it tomorrow, depending on how hot it is.”

Max Verstappen has chosen not to wear the vest at any point this season and argued that for him the disadvantages outweighed the benefits.

He said: “I'm not intending to use it because I feel like this needs to be a driver choice.

“I don’t like the tubes that are on your body with the belts that go next to you.

“They can say it’s a bad design - I disagree. It just needs to be an option for the drivers to choose.

“Some like it, some don’t, and that’s fine. It should be a personal preference.”

He continued: “In our cockpits, it’s so narrow that there is no space.

“Plus, where are you going to put the dry ice? The cars are not designed really to have this extra kind of space, and within 15, 20 laps, it’s anyway gone. And then you have hot water… or tea.”

Other drivers raised issues with the design itself, suggesting that it needs further fine tuning before it is fully ready for use.

Charles Leclerc said he would wear the vest, but predicted that by lap 20 the ice in the system would melt.

He said: “In some scenarios when the ice is gone, you have no cold water but instead hot water coming into your vest - and it's not a nice feeling.

“Before putting this thing mandatory, I think we need to make sure that everything is fine and that we don't actually worsen the issue.”

Speaking after qualifying, Oscar Piastri seemed to be in agreement.

He added: “I still don't know if I'm going to use it. I used it yesterday.

“I think the problem with the suit is it's great when it works, but if it fails, it's even worse than not having it.”

Polesitter George Russell will be using the vest in Sunday’s race. He suggests that the system simply needs a little fine tuning.

He said: “I've run it in a couple of races this year. It isn’t the perfect solution yet and the fact is you have no testing [isn’t good] - you can only test it in a race environment.

“The race in Bahrain, I was happy with it. I ran it in Saudi as well, I was happy with it. But of course, here it is much hotter. The dry ice will melt faster.

“But as I said, I’ll trial it. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”

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