# George Russell's Cooling Vest Debate

> Mercedes driver George Russell wants FIA to mandate cooling vests after team refuses to develop one.
- Title: George Russell's Cooling Vest Debate · Motorsport | Shortify
- Summary: Mercedes driver George Russell wants FIA to mandate cooling vests after team refuses to develop one. George Russell urged FIA to require cooling vests for…
- Keywords: george russell, mercedes, fia, cooling vest, formula 1, bahrain grand prix, heat hazard, cost cap, sports, cars, George, Russell's
- Source: Motorsport — https://motorsport.com/f1/news/whats-actually-going-on-with-george-russells-fia-cooling-vest-complaints/10861562
- Author: Filip Cleeren
- Published: 2026-10-03T13:03:01+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: george russell, mercedes, fia, cooling vest, formula 1, bahrain grand prix, heat hazard, cost cap, sports, cars
## George Russell's Cooling Vest Concerns
Mercedes driver George Russell called for FIA to make cooling vests mandatory during hot races.

> We won’t be running the cooling vest because we haven’t put the resource into making it robust enough
## Heat Hazard in 2026 Season
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia is the third heat hazard of 2026 season with a fourth likely next weekend.

> The FIA declares a so-called 'heat hazard' at the start of a grand prix weekend when ambient temperatures for an on-track session are predicted to exceed 31c
## Russell's Team Decision
Mercedes team decided against developing a bespoke cooling solution for Russell despite his preference.

> When it works, it works great. So, I would like to wear it this week, and I would like to wear it next week
## FIA Cost Cap Exemption
Teams received up to 125,000 usd cost cap exemption for cooling vest improvements.

> Motorsport.com understands teams were offered the opportunity to receive a 50,000 usd cost cap exemption
## Why Mercedes Didn't Act
Mercedes deemed the engineering resources for cooling vests not worth the benefit given rare heat conditions.

> With a heat hazard only declared a limited number of times per season, it appears Mercedes is one of the teams that haven't deemed it worth the engineering resources
## What Happens Next
FIA will likely require cooling vests for drivers in extreme heat conditions by next season.

> Russell called on the FIA to get involved again and effectively protect teams against themselves
## Key takeaway

George Russell urged FIA to require cooling vests for drivers in extreme heat after Mercedes declined to develop a custom solution.