Lewis Hamilton has agreed with Max Verstappen's opinion that F1 drivers should not be forced into using mandatory cooling vests in 2026.
At the Singapore GP, the FIA declared a heat hazard prior to the weekend, with air temperatures over 31 degrees Celsius encountered, meaning the cooling vest system was required to be fitted to all cars, but the option remained with the driver whether to use it.
For 2026, the FIA is planning to make it mandatory for drivers to use the system in extreme conditions, which has been in development since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where the conditions left several drivers ill and suffering from heatstroke.
Voicing his opinion, Hamilton believes that forcing the system on drivers is "silly."
"I don't think it should ever be forced on drivers," Hamilton observed to media, including RacingNews365.
"They keep saying it is a safety issue, but there's no driver that's ever died from overheating in the race, apart from in flames back in the day, so it is just getting silly.
"Like it should be our choice to have it, and I appreciate they've made it available to us, and we'll continue to work on and improve the system.
"I think it can be potentially beneficial in crazy hot places, but it should be if you want to use it because it's comfortable.
"It should never be: 'You have to wear this.'"
In the history of the F1 world championship, only one driver has died from heat exhaustion - Carl Scarborough during the 1953 Indy 500 - when that race formed part of the world championship.
To date, in a race run to normal grand prix rules, no driver has died from heat exhaustion.
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