MOTORSPORT – FORMULA One’s governing body declared a heat hazard for the second race in a row at the US Grand Prix in Austin yesterday.
Race director Rui Marques said in a statement sent to teams that an official forecast predicted the heat index would be more than 31 degrees Celsius (87.8°F) at some time during the Saturday sprint or Sunday Grand Prix.
The regulation was invoked for the first time at this month’s Singapore Grand Prix due to the temperatures and high humidity.
The regulation was brought in after drivers suffered exhaustion in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix and means drivers can either wear a cooling vest, which circulates cold liquid through tubes to maintain body temperature, or add extra ballast to their cars.
The vests are set to become mandatory in hot conditions from next season but are not universally popular, with some drivers preferring not to use them.
“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,” Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen said in Singapore
The 2025 US Grand Prix sees the continuation of the F1 season, with Marina Bay hosting the 19th round of the campaign.
Oscar Piastri now leads Lando Norris by 22 points following the Singapore GP, where they finished third and fourth after a contentious move by Norris on the opening lap.
The three-four result was enough for McLaren to secure the constructors’ championship for the 10th time, with attention now turning towards the drivers’ title, with six rounds, including three Sprints remaining, starting this weekend.
It is the third time Austin has held a Sprint, both being won by Max Verstappen in 2023 and 2024. On Friday, the first free practice session is scheduled, followed by Sprint qualifying Then, on Saturday, the Sprint takes place, followed by qualifying.
Three races have passed since a McLaren driver took the chequered flag first, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris not looking quite as dominant as they were.
Since his win at Zandvoort, Piastri has registered a podium, a DNF, and a fourth-place finish, painting a bleak picture compared to his first 15 outings. The Aussie’s record in Austin also leaves much to be desired, with one DNF and a fifth-place return in his two visits.
On the other side of the McLaren garage, Norris sits 22 points adrift of Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship. COTA hasn’t yielded the highest returns for the Brit over the years, but he did thrive in 2023, crossing the line second behind Max Verstappen.
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