Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will compete without cooling vests at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia this weekend. The decision stems from the team’s allocation of resources under Formula 1’s cost cap, prioritising car performance upgrades for their W17 chassis. This event at the Sepang International Circuit has been officially declared a heat-hazard race by the FIA.
The FIA’s declaration mandates that teams fit components of a driver cooling system to their cars. This system circulates cooled liquid through pipes integrated into a fireproof top worn beneath the driver’s overalls. While the system must be available, drivers retain the option to forgo wearing the cooling vest itself.
However, opting against the cooling vest requires the car to carry an additional 5kg of ballast to prevent any competitive advantage. For practice and qualifying sessions, this ballast requirement is 2kg. Mercedes’ inability to provide a robust cooling vest system for its drivers means they will effectively take this weight penalty.
Temperatures at Sepang are forecast to exceed 31 degrees Celsius during the race, with cockpit temperatures potentially reaching 50 to 60 degrees Celsius. Friday’s practice sessions already saw air temperatures above 33 degrees Celsius and track temperatures around 60 degrees Celsius, coupled with high humidity.
Russell confirmed the team’s position, stating that resources were not allocated to develop a sufficiently robust cooling vest system. He suggested that the FIA should either provide additional funding outside the cost cap or commission an external company to develop a universal system for all teams.
‘We won’t be running the cooling vest because we haven’t put the resource into making it robust enough,’ Russell was quoted as saying. ‘I feel we need the FIA just to step in and say, ‘Here’s some money extra in the cost cap,’ or there’s an external company who’s going to develop it for everybody, you just put the money towards it. Because we should all be wearing it.’
The 2026 Formula 1 cost cap is set at $215 million, an increase from previous seasons due to inflation adjustments and the inclusion of previously exempted costs. This cap governs performance-related spending, though driver salaries and certain other expenditures remain outside this limit.
Mercedes arrived in Malaysia with a significant upgrade package for its W17 car, indicating where their budget allocation was directed. Russell noted that developing a robust cooling system would come ‘at the cost of performance’ within the current financial regulations.
Other teams, including Ferrari and McLaren, are expected to utilise cooling vests for their drivers during the Malaysian Grand Prix. This highlights the differing strategic choices teams make under the cost cap constraints.
The FIA introduced heat-hazard regulations following the severe conditions at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. During that event, several drivers, including Russell, required medical attention for dehydration and heat exhaustion due to cockpit temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius.
Sepang, hosting its first Formula 1 championship event since 2017, is renowned for its physically demanding combination of high heat, humidity, and sustained high-speed corners. The race is officially designated as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, having been relocated from Sakhir.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, currently leading the World Drivers’ Championship, and Russell will face these challenging conditions without the aid of active cooling vests. This situation underscores the ongoing balance between driver safety and competitive development within Formula 1’s financial framework.
