"This needs to be a driver choice": Max Verstappen gives his take on the use of cooling vests during the F1 Singapore GP

FIA had declared a heat hazard for the Singapore GP, allowing special measures such as cooling vests for the drivers for the humid race, but Max Verstappen is seemingly not a fan of it. The Dutchman was asked about his thoughts on the cooling vests and revealed that he wants the FIA to keep the decision to wear the vest down to the drivers' choice.

Over the years, F1 has witnessed multiple incidents of drivers feeling unwell after hot and humid races that have taken a toll on their physical well-being. Subsequently, FIA introduced cooling vests for the 2025 season and made special provisions to help drivers battle with the intense conditions of the F1 cockpit.

While this has been a step in the right direction to promote driver safety, Verstappen has elected not to use the vest. Moreover, he wants the decision to remain in the drivers' hands going forward, as he said in the post-qualifying press conference:

"I haven't used the vest. I'm also not intending to use it because I feel like this needs to be a driver choice... I don’t like the tubes that are on you, on your body, with the belts that go next to you. Then they can say it’s a bad design. I disagree. It just needs to be an option for the drivers to choose. Some like it, some don’t, and that’s fine. It should be a personal preference."

"In our cockpits, it’s so narrow that there is no space — or at least not enough space. And that is also a little bit of a problem I find. Plus, where are you going to put the dry ice? The cars are not designed really to have this extra kind of space, and within 15, 20 laps, it’s anyway gone. And then you have hot water… or tea."

On the other hand, apart from Max Verstappen, many other drivers were spotted donning the new fireproof overalls with the integrated cooling vest earlier in the weekend.

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With Max Verstappen not planning on using the cooling vest, who intends to use it?

Max Verstappen (L) and George Russell (R) after the qualifying for the 2025 F1 Grand Prix of Singapore - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen is the reigning champion and has a major impact in the F1 sphere. However, many other drivers who have faced the altercations of heat themselves have welcomed the change by the FIA to allow the drivers to not fall prey to the overwhelming heat in the cockpit.

So, when asked about their plans to run the cooling vest, George Russell revealed that he would be one of the drivers to be kitted out, as he said in the post-qualifying press conference:

"Yeah. I'll run it."

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz was content with how things are going currently and asserted that the decision to wear the vest should remain in the drivers' hands in the foreseeable future, as he told the media, including SportsKeeda:

"If they don't want to because they feel really uncomfortable then don't use it. I agree with them on that."

So, the Singapore GP will act as a testing ground for the cooling vests, with drivers like George Russell intending to run it for the race, while Max Verstappen has opted out of doing so.