F1 to Introduce Driver Cooling System After Extreme Heat Complaints

Formula 1 is set to introduce a system designed to cool drivers when conditions become excessively hot, following complaints about the heat at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. This initiative, which will mandate a “driver cooling kit” from next season whenever a heat hazard is declared, directly responds to last year’s Qatar Grand Prix. After the race in the Gulf state last October, drivers reported that conditions were “beyond the limit,” with several requiring medical attention for either dehydration or heat exhaustion due to high temperatures and humidity. Alpine driver Esteban Ocon stated he had “vomited in his helmet.” The new cooling system comprises a series of measures aimed at reducing cockpit temperatures when conditions could lead to heat-related medical concerns. These include a method for blowing cool air onto drivers, potentially using heat exchangers, and increasing cooling apertures in parts of the car around the cockpit. The F1 Commission, which includes the governing body FIA, commercial rights holder F1, and the teams, approved the use of this device on Wednesday at a meeting. Its introduction follows what the FIA and F1 described in a statement as “encouraging test results.” In other discussions, the concept of a sprint race for rookie drivers at a post-season test was revisited, but it was decided that such a race would not occur before 2026. Further discussions to refine this idea are scheduled for next year. Additionally, new rules for closing up the grid will be introduced for instances when drivers cannot make the start, prompted by a chaotic wet race in Sao Paulo earlier this month.