Heat Hazard declared by the FIA for the Italian Grand Prix weekend

Temperatures in Monza will hit 31C over the weekend, immediately bringing out the FIA's heat hazard protocol

This is the first race to be affected by a heat hazard since June at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Drivers will therefore have the option of wearing special cooling vests in their cars. If they choose not to, teams will add additional 0.5kg of ballast to their cars to make up for the weight difference of those using the cooling equipment. The FIA’s original plans were to make the cooling vests mandatory during heat hazards however some drivers have complained about their effectiveness and comfort so they still remain optional.

These specially designed cooling vests pump cool water over the driver in an effort to lower body temperature

The region of Milan and Monza are expecting temperatures of 35C and above, which automatically triggers the FIA’s heat protocol. The FIA stated, "In accordance with Article B1.5.10 of the FIA F1 Regulations, having received a forecast from the official weather service predicting that the heat index will be greater than 31.0°C at some time during the race at this competition, a Heat Hazard is declared."

This protocol was introduced in 2025 following the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix in which a number of drivers suffered immensely due to the heat. The temperatures inside a Formula 1 car’s cockpit can easily exceed 40C and drivers are wearing several layers of fireproof clothing, a balaclava and a helmet, so overheating is a serious concern, hence why this protocol was introduced.