New solution for extreme heat in F1: What do the drivers think?

07:00, 27 Apr

byNorberto Mujica

The FIA's battle against extreme heat produced a prototype cooling vest for drivers to wear before, during and after sessions even. Carlos Sainz, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan have since given their opinion on the measure.

During the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, several drivers became severely dehydrated due to the extreme heat conditions they were racing in. The FIA has since developed a cooling vest designed to maintain the drivers' body temperature levels within an optimal range.

As of the Bahrain Grand Prix the drivers were able to test out the prototype and Williams' Sainz, Mercedes' Antonelli and Alpine's Doohan have since given their opinions on it.

What do F1 drivers think of the new cooling vest?

Sainz tried it, he said to GPblog and other media, but his experience was less than satisfactory.

"I went for it, but unfortunately I had a leakage on the vest as soon as I switched it on on the grid and in the end I don't think it worked, so a bit disappointed carrying all that weight for nothing.

"But I mean I wasn't overweight because our car has a bit of weight margin, but it's just you drive with all these things and then you don't get to enjoy the chill part of it."

For Antonelli, it wasn't hot enough to justify wearing it, but is positive about it.

"Well, actually I was planning to use it but overall, it's not so hot at the end of the day. I think I felt a bit hotter in Bahrain to be honest. I think the vest is very good, it just needs a little bit of fine-tuning."

"But overall it's working really well and probably over summer, back in the European season, I'm going to be using it."

What did he mean about fine-tuning it? The young Italian points to the Safety Car period during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"It's just what we saw in Bahrain: it was very cool and then under the safety car it got a bit hotter. So we need to see why that happened, but overall it's working really well and it's really effective. And us drivers, especially George, are really pushing to improve it even further so we're able to use it for the whole race, even in qualifying. Definitely in the later stages, as you stay a lot of time in the car, it can make a big difference," said Antonelli.

For Doohan is was a matter of weight and heat, in the times the vest doesn't work, that mitigates the potential gains might get from it. "I tried it in FP1 and for me, for the benefit of the cool that I get, if it's then not working, the extra weight and heat definitely outweighed the gains that I get. For me during the car it's fine and stopping, it's just after popping out of the car and you all of a sudden start to drain the sweat."

For now, drivers can decide for themselves if and when they want to use the cooling vest during F1 weekends. However, the FIA is rumored to be considering making it mandatory from 2026 onwards.