Formula 1 continues this weekend in Austria, at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, and while the peak of the heat wave in Europe will have passed by then, the Austrian Grand Prix organisers have nevertheless decided to activate the heat-hazard protocol, for the third time after it was introduced last season, being used for the first time in Singapore and the United States.
This protocol allows drivers to use cooling vests with tubes with a cooled liquid that blows cool air to the driver. These are not mandatory, but are advised, and if a driver chooses not to wear them (some consider them uncomfortable), they still need to add extra ballast to their cars, around half a kilogram, to make up for those who use it and have the extra weight.
The heat-hazard protocol must be activated if there's a forecast of more than 31C during the time of races. Temperatures in Spielberg are expected to reach 33C this weekend. Temperatures in the cockpit can rise to 40C, and when the coolant runs out, the liquid inside can increase to the car temperature, which is another reason why some drivers prefer not to use these cooling vests...
