Sepang Becomes Third Circuit This Season To Trigger F1 Heat-Hazard Protocol, But Some Drivers Aren’t Convinced It Helps

Malaysia joins Austria and Italy on the 2026 heat-hazard list, forcing teams to fit driver cooling systems at Sepang, even as four-time world champion Max Verstappen and seven-time title holder Lewis Hamilton question whether the equipment makes any real difference.

The Rakyat Post Adeline Leong · News & blogs · 15 hr ago

Key takeaways

The Sepang International Circuit is expected to be hot, with temperatures reaching 33°C, triggering F1's heat-hazard protocol for the third time this season.

F1 teams must fit driver cooling system components to their cars.
Drivers can wear a cooling vest or carry additional ballast if they choose not to wear the vest.
The cooling system is designed to ease the physical toll of heat and humidity on drivers.
Some drivers, including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, have questioned the effectiveness of the cooling vest.

Summarised automatically by AI from the original article by The Rakyat Post. AI can make mistakes, so check the original for details.

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Heat is set to hit 33°C this weekend, so F1 teams at the Bahrain Grand Prix are required to prepare driver cooling systems for the race at the Sepang International Circuit. This marks the third F1 race of 2026 to be classed as a heat hazard, after Austria and Italy.

Under the heat-hazard regulations, teams are required to fit components of the Driver Cooling System to their cars.

Drivers can also choose to wear a specialised cooling vest during the race to help manage their body temperature. If they opt not to wear the vest, they need to carry additional ballast to account for the weight of the cooling equipment.

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Story details

Published: October 2, 2026 at 5:14 AM UTC
By: Adeline Leong
Section: Malaysia
Format: Article
Original: therakyatpost.com ↗

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Related reporting

3 stories on this topic from 3 sources, oldest first.

Oct 1, 4:29 AM UTC
SoyaCincau Heading to Sepang International Circuit for F1 Bahrain Grand Prix? Here are the Grab drop off and shuttle rules
Oct 1, 4:59 PM UTC
The Star F1 fans urged to use public transport to Sepang race circuit
Oct 2, 5:14 AM UTC
The Rakyat Post Sepang Becomes Third Circuit This Season To Trigger F1 Heat-Hazard Protocol, But Some Drivers Aren’t Convinced It Helps (this story)

Sepang Becomes Third Circuit This Season To Trigger F1 Heat-Hazard Protocol, But Some Drivers Aren’t Convinced It Helps

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