George Russell forced to suffer in Malaysia as cost cap bites

George Russell says Mercedes’ cost cap has left him without a cooling vest as he calls for FIA intervention

Formula 1 will race in conditions hot enough to force the FIA to declare this weekend in Malaysia a heat hazard. For that reason, drivers can choose to use a cooling vest during sessions - a tool that helps regulate their body temperature. But George Russell won't be doing that, as he blames the cost cap for Mercedes not having the funds to develop it under the restrictions.

The Bahrain Grand Prix, relocated to Malaysia due to the conflict in the Middle East, saw track temperatures hit low 60C during FP2 on Friday. Air temperature is expected to push past 31C while drivers wear their full racing get-up- fireproof underwear, gloves, helmet and the racing suit itself.

Why Mercedes won't pay for a cooling vest

What's frustrating for Russell is that other teams on the grid do have this technology available to their drivers. Of course, it's up to the drivers themselves if they want to wear it. Some will take the optional 5kg ballast instead after a number of drivers argued that the vests make little difference, or even become hot themselves as the liquid travelling through their tubing heats up.

This year, teams have a cost cap of $215million. And the integration of such a system into an F1 car costs money - an expense that indeed falls under that cap.

"I was sweating sitting on the beach in my shorts and flip-flops," Russell told the Daily Mail. "Let alone with fireproof underwear, suit and helmet. It will be like sitting in an oven."

He added that this won't be limited to a single race, either: "I would like to wear the cooling vest this week, and I would like to wear it next week (in Singapore)."

According to the Briton, the funds were instead shovelled into the W17's performance.

"But the team asked me, 'Look, we can develop it, and we can put the money towards it but at a cost when we are trying to develop the car within the budget cap,'" he said.

Mercedes showed up in Malaysia with a substantial upgrade package spread across seven components, a rollout that's expected to improve its pace by three tenths.

Russell wants the FIA to change the rules

"We should all be wearing the vest," he continued. "When it works, it works great. The FIA should step in and allow us to develop it outside the budget cap." Until then, it looks like Russell and team-mate Kimi Antonelli are stuck sweating it out at Sepang, regardless.

"I think my problems there were more the shock from going into the ice bath, going from extreme heat to extreme cold. So perhaps I have learned from that and will be ok."

Max Verstappen will also go without a vest this weekend. He has instead readied himself for this moment: "I think I had four or five months of very intense preparation. Yeah, deep mental preparation of not giving an F…!"