OCTOBER 13, 2025

Drivers mixed on cooling vest after hot Singapore debut

Formula 1 drivers have given mixed reviews after the first official 'heat hazard' event for the FIA's new cockpit cooling vest in Singapore.

The controversial device is optional for now, with drivers not wearing it forced to carry compensatory ballast - though the FIA plans to make it mandatory from 2026 despite opposition from several top drivers including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc said the vest offered little long-term benefit. It worked well for five laps, he admitted. And then it got kind of warm, so it didn't make a difference.

Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto had a similar experience. I turned it on for the first 10 to 15 laps, but after that the vest gets quite hot. It's better to turn it off, he said. But at least you were cooled for 15 laps.

As for the experience of the race itself, the Brazilian added: It was physically demanding, but honestly, I expected more. I don't know if the cooling vest had anything to do with it.

For Haas newcomer Oliver Bearman, the system lasted a little longer. I think it worked well for the first 45 minutes, he said.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz - who also serves as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association - said he believes the vest provides a real physiological benefit, but still supports individual choice.

For me, it's very simple - I'm convinced it works and helps, even though I've completed ten races in Singapore without suffering physically and finished without any problems, Sainz said.

Once you start to understand the physiology, you understand that it provides a performance advantage. But if it's not a major safety issue, then it should be left up to the drivers.

(GMM)