F1’s Heat Hazard rules: Why drivers are rejecting cooling vests
Formula 1 drivers can use cooling vests in Austria, but many are electing against using the devices despite the weekend being declared a "Heat Hazard"
With soaring temperatures across Europe this month it was perhaps no surprise when the FIA’s Formula 1 race director Rui Marques declared a “Heat Hazard” situation for the Austrian GP weekend, and yet, despite having the option to wear cooling vests, several top drivers questioned on the subject have indicated that they don’t like the system, and won’t be using it at the Red Bull Ring.
The Heat Hazard regulations were formally approved by the World Motor Sport Council in December 2024, over a year after the infamous 2023 Qatar GP that saw all drivers suffering and Logan Sargeant forced to pull out of the race.
As a result of research and discussions with the teams, it was agreed to formalise the use of cooling vests when conditions made them appropriate.
In the latest 2026 sporting regulations the procedure is explained thus: “If the official weather service predicts that the heat index will be greater than 31.0°C at some time during the sprint or the race at a competition, or at the sole discretion of the race director, a “Heat Hazard” may be declared 24 hours prior to the scheduled start of the competition for the sprint, the race or both the sprint and race.”
Crucially the rules state that “all components of the Driver Cooling System, with the exception of any cooling medium and any items of a driver’s personal equipment that form part of the system must be fitted for the entire duration of the competition,” and that “at the start of any sprint or race for which a Heat Hazard has been declared, all components of the driver cooling system must be fitted. The system must be functional and available for use by the driver.”
The significance of all of the above is that the minimum car weight rises by 5kgs regardless of whether the driver uses the system or not. If he doesn’t, then 0.5kg of ballast has to be fitted to the cockpit.
Last year, a Heat Hazard was declared in both Singapore and Austin, and Austria is only the third example to date. However, many drivers remain sceptical, citing either complications arising from the extra plumbing tucked around their bodies, or the fact that at some stage the vest can stop cooling and start heating – making the situation worse.
One man who indicated that he will run it in Austria is McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
“I think probably yes,” said the Aussie when asked. “I used it a couple of times last year. There’s obviously the risk if it goes wrong, and if it fails, then yeah, it’s worse than not wearing it. But I think if you get the system working well, then it can help a bit.
“It’s not a complete game changer, but when I used it last year, it was okay. There are definitely some things that are not perfect with it, but at the end of the day, it’s personal preference. We have to add the weight in the car anyway, so if you can get it to work and it cools you down a little bit, then sure.”
However, his team-mate Lando Norris was less enthusiastic: “I don't know, to be honest. I'll probably try it in FP1, but not race it. I maybe raced it in Austin last year, and I don't think it worked, so probably not, but I don't normally like those kinds of things.
“I don't like the cool vest normally, and I don't run a drinks bottle either, so I don't even drink during the race. So, yeah, I like to make it tougher for myself!”
Meanwhile, at Red Bull, both drivers made it clear they are not fans of having extra stuff in the cockpit.
“It's hot, but it's okay,” said Max Verstappen. “These cars are not very physical to drive, so it's fine for me. We've had hot races before. It was hot also last year here for me. It will not change anything. Just before I jump in the car, I always had this ice vest on top of me, but all these cables in the car, I don't like.”
His team-mate Isack Hadjar also dislikes the system: “I really don’t like it because there are just too many tubes, too many things happening in the cockpit, and not very comfortable. It works really well, though for like 10 minutes, and then it’s warm again.
“Honestly, I’ve never been to a point where I really needed that vest. If I need it, that means the car as well can’t handle it and we can’t drive. So I think the car will give up before I do, in any case.”
World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is another driver concerned about the system potentially doing more harm than good over the course of a long race.
“I'm Italian, so I'm quite used to this weather!,” he said. “For sure, it's very warm. It's going to be a good sweat in the car, but to be fair, every time I've used the vest, it didn't go down very well.
“So I remember Austin last year, we had a little issue with the system, and I was just boiling in the car, so I was pretty fried after the session.
“For sure, now the system is a lot more developed, but I still want to wait until I'm sure that it's good before using it.
“Also I've been trying to train as much as I could to adapt the body to hotter conditions, of course now we're in the European season, and weather is a lot warmer, so also the body is needs to adapt, and I've been trying to train to adapt as much as possible, and in order to feel the least amount of possible the heat in the car!"
Adam Cooper attended his first F1 race at Brands Hatch as a 10-year-old fan in 1976. He became a freelance journalist for Autosport magazine in 1985 while still at university, initially covering everything from club racing to the FIA World Sportscar Championship.
