The Singapore Grand Prix has been declared a heat-hazard race, the second weekend in a row that the designation has been used in Formula 1 and the fourth time this year. The status is an official designation for events where temperatures are forecast to exceed 31C at some point during the race. It was first introduced in 2025.
The designation allows teams to fit cooling devices that pump liquid through a vest worn by the driver to manage cockpit temperatures. Singapore, close to the equator, has long been one of the most demanding venues for drivers. In 2024, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were treated for heat exhaustion after the race. Temperatures in the city stay in the 31-33C region across the race weekend, with high humidity and a chance of rain every day. The race is held at night, but temperatures remain around 30C after dark.
A cooling kit is not mandatory, but any driver who chooses not to use one must carry 5kg of ballast to avoid a competitive advantage. The system uses a cooling tank and pump, usually in the car's nose, that delivers a cooled liquid such as glycol through pipes in a fireproof top worn under the overalls. Some teams and drivers avoid it because the liquid is hard to keep cool for an entire grand prix, a problem worsened in Singapore by it being the longest race of the year. Others find the top uncomfortable in the tight cockpit. If the liquid warms, it reverts to car temperature, which can rise above 40C.
Mercedes has decided against running the system, preferring to devote the resources needed to make it robust enough for a race into car performance. The FIA has granted teams a $50,000 (£38,000) cost-cap allowance if they can keep the liquid cool for a full grand prix, and a further $75,000 (£57,000) if they can make the top comfortable. Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord called the allowance "small", saying: "We didn't believe that allowance was sufficient for us to be able to develop a solution that would be robust enough to last for the entire race." Singapore follows the Austrian and Italian rounds and last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in being declared a heat-hazard race this year.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing