Formula 1 governing body declare heat hazard for Austrian Grand Prix weekend

[p]Race Director Rui Marques said temperatures ‌in excess of 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) had been forecast.[/p][p][b]Declaring a heat hazard ‌requires teams to fit a driver cooling system, such as ‌a liquid-cooled vest, though drivers are not obliged to use them and ‌can take a ballast penalty instead.[/b][/p][p]The car's minimum weight is ‌increased to accommodate the hardware.[/p][p]Last October's Singapore Grand Prix was the first time the heat hazard designation had been applied after it was added to the ‌rules in 2025, followed by the US Grand ⁠Prix in Austin, Texas, the ‌same month.[/p][embed guid="0b03c60a-6f0d-4b61-97b7-c6ad82bd368e" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2068983329630683330" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I think the moments where you have zero kph in the car, ​they are definitely the worst,"[/b] said Red Bull driver [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hadjar-isack/8SAk38Ui/"]Isack Hadjar[/a] of sitting on the starting grid in such ​hot conditions.[/p][p][b]"To be fair, when driving, it’s not too bad. We’ve got good AC (air conditioning) with our open cockpit, so it’s fine."[/b][/p][p]The Frenchman ⁠said he would not ​be wearing a cooling vest because his felt too uncomfortable and cumbersome.[/p][p][b]"It works really well, though, for like 10 minutes, and then it’s warm again. So, I’m okay. Honestly, I’ve never been to a point ‌where I really needed that vest. If I need it, that means the car as well can’t handle it, and we can’t drive. So, I think the car will give up before I do,"[/b] he said.[/p][embed guid="fbf3b2c3-19be-4ee1-98d7-35a36ff068a9" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2069790397698629788" social-type="twitter" /][p]McLaren's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a] was more positive and revealed - when asked if he had acclimatised in a sauna - that he had prepared for the heat with portable heaters and an exercise bike in a small bathroom.[/p][p][b]"You can cause yourself a lot of discomfort, a ‌lot of pain by doing that. So, I do that for ​the benefit of my performance. Not for pleasure, that’s for ‌sure,"[/b] smiled the Australian.[/p][p][b]"I think if you get the (cooling jacket) system working well, then it can help a bit. It’s not a complete game changer, but when I used it last year, it was okay."[/b][/p][p]Sunday's race will be the eighth round of ⁠the championship, with 19-year-old Mercedes ⁠driver [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Kimi Antonelli[/a] at the ‌top of the standings.[/p]