Piastri and Hadjar split on cooling vest use as FIA declares heat hazard for Austrian GP

With the FIA officially declaring a Heat Hazard for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, drivers must choose between wearing a cooling vest or carrying 0.5 kg of ballast in their cars.

The rule, triggered when the heat‑index threshold is exceeded, has prompted mixed reactions up and down the grid — including from Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who were asked whether they plan to use the system at the Red Bull Ring.

Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar made his stance clear: he dislikes the cooling vest and does not expect to need it.

“I really don’t like it because there’s just too many tubes, too many things happening in the cockpit and not very comfortable.”

While he admits the system works briefly, he says the benefit fades quickly: “It works really well though for like 10 minutes and then it’s warm again.”

Hadjar added that he has never reached a point where he felt the vest was necessary: “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, in any case," concluded Hadjar.

His comments reflect a broader sentiment among some drivers who find the vest intrusive, uncomfortable, or simply not worth the trade‑off.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took a more pragmatic approach, saying he will likely use the cooling jacket — provided the system operates reliably.: “I think probably yes. I used it a couple of times last year.”

He acknowledged the risk of malfunction, which can make the vest counterproductive: “There’s obviously the risk if it goes wrong and if it fails, then yeah, it’s worse than not wearing it.”

Still, Piastri believes that when functioning correctly, the vest offers a modest but worthwhile benefit: “If you get the 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.”

He also noted that since the ballast weight must be added regardless, drivers may as well take advantage of the cooling if it works: “There are definitely some things that are not perfect with it, but at the end of the day it’s personal preference.

"We have to add the weight in the car anyway, so if you can get it to work and it cools you down a little bit, then sure," concluded Piastri.