George Russell urges FIA to help teams adopt cooling vests

Driver comfort in hot conditions has been an issue since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where several drivers experienced symptoms of heat exhaustion during the race in Doha. The event was held in October before being moved to December, when the climate was considered more reasonable. George Russell, the Mercedes driver, has renewed the debate, arguing that the FIA should help teams equip themselves with cooling vests rather than leave them to make that decision alone.

After those episodes, the FIA and Formula 1 teams carried out research into improving driver ventilation and cooling in extreme conditions. The governing body declares a “heat hazard” at the start of a Grand Prix weekend when an on-track session is forecast to take place in ambient temperatures above 31°C.

Russell said he would have preferred to use a solution tailored to his needs, but Mercedes had decided against developing one. “We won’t be running the cooling vest because we haven’t put the resource into making it robust enough,” he explained. He also called on the FIA to step in so teams do not forgo the equipment because of other priorities, suggesting either extra room under the cost cap or an outside company developing a solution for everyone. “Because we should all be wearing it,” he insisted.

The debate does not mean, according to the account, that Russell is accusing his team of forcing him to race in dangerous conditions. The issue also concerns resources: heat hazards are declared only a limited number of times each season and, for most teams, such conditions are rare and less extreme than they were in Qatar in 2023. Resources spent on vests used only occasionally would not go towards improving the W17’s performance.

The question arises as Mercedes battles to stay ahead of McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari. The Bahrain Grand Prix, exceptionally held in Malaysia, is the third heat hazard of the 2026 season; a fourth is likely the following weekend in Singapore. Russell’s proposed collective approach would allow driver comfort to be addressed without leaving each team to shoulder the development cost alone.