Singapore Grand Prix declared a heat‑hazard race for fourth time this season

The Singapore Grand Prix was declared a heat‑hazard race on 8 October 2026, the second consecutive weekend that designation has been used in Formula 1 and the fourth time this season. The status permits teams to fit cooling systems that circulate liquid through a vest worn by the driver to control cockpit temperatures.

A heat‑hazard designation applies when forecasts indicate temperatures will exceed 31C at some point during the race and was first introduced in 2025. Singapore, close to the equator, is routinely demanding for drivers; in 2024 Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were treated for heat exhaustion after the race. Organisers report ambient temperatures across the race weekend typically sit in the 31-33C range with high humidity and a daily chance of rain.

Although the Singapore race is held at night, officials say temperatures remain around 30C even after dark. That persistent heat and humidity contribute to the need for in‑car cooling solutions to protect driver safety and comfort. The city’s long race duration is cited as a complicating factor for cooling system performance.

Cooling equipment is not mandatory; drivers who opt not to use the system must carry 5kg of ballast in their car. The systems normally use a cooling tank and pump, often positioned in the car’s nose, to deliver a cooled liquid such as glycol through pipes into a fireproof top worn under the driver’s overalls.

Teams and drivers have raised two principal concerns about adopting the kits: the difficulty of keeping the liquid sufficiently cool for the entire grand prix, a problem said to be worsened by Singapore being the longest race of the year, and discomfort from wearing the cooling top in the confined cockpit. If the liquid cannot be kept cool it equilibrates to car temperature, which is considerably higher than ambient, and cockpit temperatures can rise above 40C.

Mercedes have elected not to run the system, preferring to devote the associated resources to car performance. The FIA has allowed teams an exemption under the cost cap of $50,000 (£38,000) for a system that keeps the liquid cool for a full grand prix and a further $75,000 (£57,000) if they can make the top comfortable; Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord described the allowance as "small", adding: "We didn't believe that allowance was sufficient for us to be able to develop a solution that would be robust enough to last for the entire race."

Singapore follows the Austrian, Italian and last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in being declared a heat‑hazard race this year.