The high temperatures recorded during some race weekends last year led the FIA to take measures to protect the health of the drivers. The highlight occurred during the Qatar Grand Prix, where despite a night race, temperatures reached 30\u00b0C, making the racing conditions particularly challenging for the drivers who had to endure the 57 laps of the race.<\/p>\n
Logan Sargeant had to abandon that day due to heat exhaustion he may have suffered, the Frenchman Esteban Ocon also had a tough time in his car and reportedly threw up in his helmet. Lastly, Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll briefly lost consciousness.<\/p>\n
These incidents prompted the FIA to introduce devices to reduce temperatures in single-seater cockpits and limit risks for drivers in extreme race conditions. A special scoop on the floor has been implemented to improve cockpit cooling. \u00ab The scoop will improve cockpit cooling. It was an idea previously rejected by the teams that has now been approved, \u00bb said Nikolas Tombazis, head of single-seater racing at the FIA.<\/p>\n
At the dawn of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the subject comes back to mind given the average temperatures recorded during the last editions of this Grand Prix which should rival with Imola and Austria to be the hottest race of the calendar (33\u00b0 is expected at the time of the race on Sunday) and its 70 laps will generate a scenario similar to that of Qatar. A worrying situation that the FIA is already trying to address.<\/p>\n
\u00ab In addition, teams will be allowed to take exceptional measures to cool the driver’s equipment and survival cell as much as possible before sessions.
\n\u00bb To reduce the risks of illness, the FIA is ready to remove certain elements of the car, such as the cockpit or the driver’s seat between each session to avoid prolonged exposure to heat.<\/p>\n
Another solution implemented is the installation of ducts in the cockpit, effective from the Dutch Grand Prix. These ducts are organized into smaller structures around the cockpit to better direct cooled air towards the driver. A second air intake duct has been introduced on the top of the nose at the front of the cockpit to improve airflow.<\/p>\n
These innovations are a direct response to the incidents of the Qatar Grand Prix 2023. The FIA and its commission have promised tangible actions now to avoid the repetition of this scenario. Among the advanced ideas is the installation of an air conditioning system in single-seaters when weather conditions become extreme.<\/p>\n
It is also an advanced idea to have an air conditioning system in single-seaters when weather conditions exceed a certain level. In response to the extreme temperatures experienced during last year’s Qatar Grand Prix, the FIA and all F1 teams immediately launched research to improve driver ventilation and cooling in such conditions.<\/p>\n
\u00ab Since then, the technical regulations have been updated to allow the introduction of a passive air intake on top of the cockpit for improved ventilation, which teams are strongly encouraged to use. These joint research activities have progressed and focused on the development of an active cooling system that would be installed in F1 cars in case of extreme conditions.<\/p>\n
The important thing now is to find out if these innovations will be effective and will help prevent potential health problems for some pilots. The Hungarian Grand Prix, which takes place this Sunday, may give us an insight into these extreme heat conditions and the necessity to counter them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With the weather forecast predicting a scorching Hungarian Grand Prix, the FIA took the opportunity to discuss the possibility of installing air-conditioning in single-seaters. An innovation that would reduce the health problems of some drivers caused by the heat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":44510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,1749],"tags":[310,370,524],"class_list":["post-29371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","category-news","tag-equipes","tag-fia","tag-grand-prix-des-pays-bas"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n