The international auto racing federation has issued a High Temperature Warning for the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Formula 1, a follow-up to the initial warning in Singapore.
Air temperatures at the Circuit of the Americas might climb as high as 34 degrees Celsius during the sprint race, surpassing the 31-degree Celsius threshold that triggers a High Temperature Warning. For Sunday, a maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius is anticipated.
The primary result is that racers will have a choice between two options: putting on a cooling vest or having their vehicles outfitted with the matching 0.5 kg of counterbalance.
The drivers who chose to use the vest during the Singapore Grand Prix stated that it worked well for a duration that varied from five circuits, according to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, to the race’s opening hour, as reported by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, wearing a cooling vest
Photo by: Ferrari
“It was physical, but I was expecting more if I’m honest,” Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber remarked about the Singapore race, which is typically regarded as one of the most difficult on the schedule.
“I’m not sure if the cooling vest has anything to do with it, but everyone was definitely anticipating it to be the hardest race of the year, and I don’t know, it just didn’t feel that way. But it was still difficult.
“I turned [the vest] on for the first 10–15 circuits, and then it becomes rather hot after that, so it’s preferable to turn it off.”
Practical reasons that might prevent drivers from wearing the vest include the annoying network of tubes in an already confined cockpit, as well as the possibility of the device breaking down and, at best, being useless.
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– The Autosport.com Team
