F1’s governing body have issued a first-ever “heat hazard” warning for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
With temperatures set to reach a humid 31C in the city-state, new regulations this year state that drivers may fit a cooling device to their cars if they so wish.
The cooling system pumps liquid around a series of tubes but it is not mandatory, with ballast being added to cars for drivers who opt not to use the device, in order for every car in the field to be equal in weight.
George Russell, who alongside Lewis Hamilton suffered ‘borderline heatstroke’ at last year’s race in Singapore, used the cooling vest at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April and said it felt “quite nice” given the high track temperatures.
“It was definitely very noticeable when I turned on the cool water,” he said. “I think at the start of the race, it was about 16C pumping around my body, which feels quite nice when you're in a cockpit that's 50C-plus.
“Of course, there's always room to improve. But for us as a team, they've been putting in so much hard work and had the confidence that the system would work that I wanted to give it a whirl. So far, so good.”
When temperatures reach the required 31C, FIA rules state: “In such circumstance, all other components, including any cooling medium, of the driver cooling system must be fitted.
“In addition, the difference in mass between the driver’s personal equipment normally used and any items of a driver’s personal equipment that form part of the system must be compensated by the fitting of 0.5kg of ballast in the cockpit.”
The new cooling vest device was implemented as a response to the “dangerous” 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, when numerous drivers encountered health problems in humid conditions.
There is a small risk of rain for practice on Friday and qualifying on Saturday at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but the forecast for Sunday shows dry conditions.
