COOL ABOUT HEAT HAZARD

Drivers unfazed by rule triggered for first time due to hot weather conditions

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Briton Lewis Hamilton signing autographs at the F1 paddock on Oct 2. The Ferrari driver has not used the cooling vest before but is willing to try it on for the Singapore Grand Prix. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

(KEVIN LIM)

The 2025 Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix may have been declared as Fl's first “heat hazard” race, but the drivers on the grid are cool on the development as they go about preparations as they normally would for one of the most gruelling races on the calendar.

This weekend’s Singapore race will be the first time a new rule to help drivers stay cool has been invoked. The International Automobile Federation’s (FIA) ruling was triggered because temperatures are predicted to exceed 31 deg C amid high humidity.

Race director Rui Marques issued a statement on Oct 2 notifying the teams of the regulation, which state that drivers must decide whether to fit a cooling system or add a ballast to their cars.

The system’s vests have coolant tubes with liquids connected to pumps and a heat exchanger, and while it is not mandatory, the FIA sporting regulations outline that in the event of a heat hazard being declared, those who do not fit the cooling system will have to compensate through added weight to the car in the form of an extra 0.5kg of ballast.