Max Verstappen responds to George Russell: "Maybe I should take him to the sauna!"

The debate over cooling vests has been revived during the Formula 1 weekend in Malaysia. Two years ago, there were discussions behind the scenes about making the cooling vest mandatory, something the FIA was open to, but after strong opposition from several drivers, that idea was ultimately abandoned.

Verstappen was already one of the drivers strongly opposed to it at the time. The Dutchman called the cooling vest uncomfortable behind the wheel and stressed that it should always remain a free choice, even if that means carrying half a kilogram of ballast for those who do not want to use it.

The FIA ultimately went along with the idea of leaving it as a free choice, although Russell has brought the subject up again in Sepang. The Mercedes driver said he would like to wear the vest, but explained that Mercedes has not developed the system sufficiently, simply because other choices have been made under the budget cap.

Russell believes the FIA would do well to give all teams more budget for it, but Verstappen dismisses that suggestion. The four-time world champion is still not in favour of the cooling vest and argues that the heat is precisely the kind of tough conditions F1 drivers train for.

"I don’t need that cooling vest and I won’t use it. Maybe I suffer less from the heat, I guess," Verstappen replied during his Dutch media session in the paddock.

"Once you’re in the car, yes, it’s hot, but that’s part of it. That’s what you train for, you have to make sure you’re fit enough for it. When you get out of the car after the race, of course you need to drink a lot and also quickly eat something."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sona Maleterova / Getty Images

Aside from the usual preparation and recovery, however, Verstappen believes FIA intervention would go much too far. Russell described racing in conditions such as those in Malaysia as racing in a sauna, but Verstappen thinks that is a bit of an exaggeration as well.

"I think a proper Finnish sauna at 85 or 100 degrees is pretty hot! You shouldn’t make such a fuss either," Verstappen responded.

"It’s hot, but that’s all part of the game. You have to train for that. Of course it’s uncomfortable, but in every sport you have to push yourself to the limit. You can’t just stroll around."

Moreover, according to Verstappen, it is something all drivers can train for. The Dutchman says he has worked on it himself with additional training, meaning he can now cope with the conditions at Sepang better than in 2017, when he won what remains the most recent Malaysian Grand Prix.

"Yes, I think I’m a bit fitter and stronger now than I was back then," Verstappen confirmed.

"When I was 18, I sometimes struggled a bit more with the heat as well. But ultimately, you just have to train more in the heat then, maybe in the sauna, so that you become more comfortable with it.

"It’s about being able to sit in there for longer, being able to cope with the sweating, your head getting really hot, all those kinds of things. So maybe I should take him [Russell] to the sauna sometime!"