Verstappen dismisses Russell's cooling vest push: 'You shouldn't make such a fuss'

Max Verstappen pushed back against George Russell’s renewed call for cooling vest support at the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, arguing that enduring extreme heat is a fundamental part of what Formula 1 drivers prepare for and that FIA intervention would be unnecessary.

The debate resurfaced during the Sepang weekend after Russell said he would like to use a cooling vest but that Mercedes had not developed the system sufficiently, a consequence of budget cap priorities. The Mercedes driver suggested the FIA should allocate additional funding to all teams to make the technology more accessible.

Verstappen, who was among the drivers who opposed making cooling vests mandatory when the FIA explored the idea two years ago, remains firmly against any compulsory requirement. The four-time world champion acknowledged the discomfort of cockpit temperatures in Malaysia but said drivers should be fit enough to handle them without regulatory assistance.

“I don’t need that cooling vest and I won’t use it. Maybe I suffer less from the heat, I guess,” Verstappen said during his Dutch media session in the paddock. “Once you’re in the car, yes, it’s hot, but that’s part of it. That’s what you train for — you have to make sure you’re fit enough for it.”

Russell had described racing in Malaysian conditions as comparable to sitting in a sauna, but Verstappen was unmoved by the analogy. “I think a proper Finnish sauna at 85 or 100 degrees is pretty hot! You shouldn’t make such a fuss either,” he responded. “It’s hot, but that’s all part of the game. Of course it’s uncomfortable, but in every sport you have to push yourself to the limit. You can’t just stroll around.”

Verstappen added that heat acclimatisation is something every driver can address through targeted training. He noted that his own conditioning has improved significantly since he last raced at Sepang in 2017 — the most recent Malaysian Grand Prix — when he took victory as an 18-year-old but found the physical demands more challenging.

“Yes, I think I’m a bit fitter and stronger now than I was back then,” he confirmed.

The FIA previously left the use of cooling vests as a free choice, with drivers who opt out required to carry an equivalent ballast penalty. That framework remains in place, and Verstappen’s comments suggest he has no appetite for revisiting it.