Kimi Antonelli Reports Unexpected Failure of New F1 Cooling Vest

Kimi Antonelli recently revealed an unforeseen failure of F1's new cooling vest during sprint qualifying at the United States Grand Prix, which left him feeling 'warmed up' instead of cooled. This incident occurred amidst extreme heat conditions, raising questions about the mandatory implementation of the device next season.

Why it matters:

This safety feature, intended to help drivers cope with intense heat, experienced a critical malfunction during a crucial session. Such issues could undermine driver performance and raise concerns about mandatory adoption, especially as the device is already a 'polarizing subject' among drivers.

The details:

• Heat Hazard Declaration: The FIA declared the United States Grand Prix a heat hazard due to extreme temperatures, with sprint qualifying reaching 33°C (91.4°F) at the Circuit of the Americas.
• Cooling Vest Introduction: For the current season, drivers have the option to wear a new cooling vest that circulates ice water. It is slated to become mandatory for the next season.
• Driver Concerns: Williams' Alex Albon noted that the cooling vest is a 'polarizing subject,' with many drivers preferring to retain the option of whether or not to wear it.
• Antonelli's Experience: Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli wore the vest during sprint qualifying, but it failed, warming him up instead of cooling him down. He was subsequently knocked out of SQ2 by a mere six-thousandths of a second to Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
• Performance Impact: Antonelli stated, 'I was wearing the cooling vest, and we had a failure, so instead of cooling, it was warming me up, so I had a big struggle in the session.' He also cited struggles with locking up, particularly into Turn 3, which hampered his chances of reaching SQ3.

What's next:

This incident is likely to fuel further debate among drivers and the FIA regarding the mandatory status and reliability of the cooling vest. As F1 continues to race in diverse and often extreme conditions, effective and dependable driver welfare solutions are paramount. Teams and the FIA will need to address these reliability concerns before full implementation to ensure driver safety and performance are not compromised.