McLaren star reveals weight penalty fears for Bahrain Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri has revealed McLaren could be at risk of a weight penalty at the Bahrain Grand Prix following the introduction of a new driver cooling vest system.

Scorching temperatures are set to hit the Bahrain International Circuit, with conditions expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius during Sunday’s race, and a new driver cooling vest system has been introduced for the 2025 campaign following previous grands prix running under extreme conditions.

Following the unbearable heat the drivers suffered across the 2023 Qatar GP weekend, the FIA invested in new cooling vests which use several metres of tubing to pump cooled fluid around, helping drivers regulate their body temperature whilst driving.

However, when asked during Thursday’s press conference at the Bahrain GP about the new vest, the drivers were less than satisfied with the invention, with Piastri revealing the risk of a weight penalty if a driver opted to wear one for Sunday’s race.

Piastri issues penalty concerns ahead of Bahrain GP

The papaya star was asked if he was comfortable with the new vests ahead of what is set to be the hottest race weekend of the year so far.

"No, is the answer. I think it still has a bit of fine-tuning to go. I think it’s been a good process with the FIA and the manufacturers with the cooling system, and I think it will be a big positive for us. But for me personally, it’s not quite ready to be used," the Aussie star revealed.

"There’s been a lot of good work going on, but I think Sunday, given it’s a night race and it looks a bit cooler, I’m not sure we’ll actually trigger the heat hazard with the FIA anyway. So if you want to use it, it will come with a weight penalty on Sunday. I think there’s still some work to go, but it’s going in the right direction,” Piastri added.

The FIA’s new cooling vests remain optional to use in 2025 but will become mandatory for the hotter races from next year. The bulk of the current design however has caused issues for F1 teams and discomfort for drivers ahead of the Bahrain GP.

Whilst drivers may be able to avoid using the new vests this time out in Sakhir, they will likely not be able to disregard them in Jeddah the following week, with temperatures expected to be even higher for the Saudi Arabian GP weekend.

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