Hadjar calls for F1 cooling vests to be banned after sweltering Malaysian GP

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar has called for cooling vests to be banned from Formula 1, insisting that enduring extreme heat is a fundamental part of the sport’s challenge. The Frenchman made his position clear to media in Singapore following last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, where sweltering conditions reignited debate across the paddock.

“I think it should be banned. Because it’s supposed to be tough,” Hadjar said.

The cooling vest system works by pumping chilled liquid around the body through tubes built into a fireproof underlayer worn beneath the race suit. Drivers and teams have reported mixed results: the technology offers some relief in the early laps but loses effectiveness as cockpit temperatures climb and the liquid warms. Opinion on the grid is divided, with some drivers welcoming the aid and others raising concerns about fit and practicality.

Hadjar’s team-mate and four-time world champion Max Verstappen was equally dismissive, saying he would not use the device even if it remained effective for an entire race distance.

“For me it’s not needed,” Verstappen said. “Yes, it’s hot, but it’s not a sauna, and with this cooling vest you have these stupid cables in your car, so it’s just limiting your movement as well. I don’t need it, even if it would work for one and a half hours — I don’t need it, but it doesn’t work anyway for one and a half hours. I don’t think it has worked for one and a half hours in any category.”

Under current regulations, when a heat hazard is declared, teams and drivers may choose to use their own cooling vest systems or carry ballast instead, ensuring no weight penalty for those who opt out. The rule is designed to level the playing field, but the debate over whether the technology belongs in the sport at all appears far from settled.

With the calendar increasingly featuring races in high-heat environments — Bahrain, Singapore, and Malaysia among them — the question of driver comfort versus sporting purity is likely to remain a talking point as the season progresses.