Will Formula 1 drivers use cooling vest in Heat Hazard Singapore Grand Prix?

On Thursday, ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, FIA Formula One Race Director Rui Marques issued a note to the team announcing that this weekend will run under Heat Hazard conditions, as the weather forecast showed that the temperatures will exceed 31 degrees Celsius, which is the threshold set by the sport's governing body for announcing Heat Hazard.

Marques said in his note, Document 3 from the Singapore Grand Prix: "In accordance with Article 26.19 of the Sporting Regulations, having received a forecast from the Official Weather Service predicting that the Heat Index will be greater than 31.0°C at some time during the race at this event, a Heat Hazard is declared."

This means that drivers will have the option to use the cooling vest, which was designed and introduced following the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix that saw several drivers struggle in the heat and humidity, some vomiting, and others—Logan Sargeant—retiring from exhaustion.

While the use of the cooling vest remains optional for drivers, as some of them felt uncomfortable when using it due to the numerous tubes required for its installation, all the cars have to be fitted with the cooling system equipment, including the pumps, coolant reservoir, and heat exchanger.

The driver who decides not to wear the vest will then have to carry extra ballast on his car so he will not gain any advantage over his rivals who decide to use it.

The rules state: "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."