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Max Verstappen Responds to George Russell's Call for Rule Change Ahead of Bahrain GP
Amir Azimi
Daily News

Max Verstappen Responds to George Russell's Call for Rule Change Ahead of Bahrain GP

Max Verstappen Responds to George Russell’s Cooling Vest Request Before Bahrain GP

The upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur due to political reasons, faces high temperatures expected to exceed 31°C. The FIA has labeled this race a heat-hazard event.

Despite the intense heat, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will not wear cooling vests during the race. Mercedes chose to allocate their budget cap towards car performance improvements rather than investing in more durable cooling vest technology.

George Russell Urges FIA to Change Rules on Cooling Vests

Before the race, Russell spoke with The Times about the need for all drivers to have the option of wearing cooling vests. He called on the FIA to provide extra funding or support to develop the vests for all teams, stating:

“We won’t be running the cooling vest because we haven’t put the resource into making it robust enough. I feel we need the FIA just to step in and say, ‘Here’s some money extra in the cost cap,’ or there’s an external company who’s going to develop it for everybody, you just put the money towards it. Because we should all be wearing it.”
“When it works, it works great. So I would like to wear it this week, and I would like to wear it next week. But the team asked me… look, we can develop it, and we can put the money towards it [but at the cost of performance].”

Verstappen Dismisses Russell’s Complaints, Emphasizes Adaptation

Max Verstappen, starting from pole position, reacted to Russell’s remarks with a different perspective. The Dutch driver, a four-time World Champion, told Telegraaf that he does not feel the need for a cooling vest and suggested that drivers must adapt to heat conditions through training.

“I don’t need it. Maybe I suffer a bit less from the heat.. I find a Finnish sauna at 85 degrees a lot hotter... You shouldn’t make a fuss. Yes, it is hot, but that’s part of it. You have to train for that.”
“When I was eighteen, I had a bit more trouble with these conditions. But after that, I started training more in the heat, such as in the sauna and a steam room, so that I can handle the sweating better and the fact that your head gets very hot. Maybe I should take him (Russell) to the sauna a few times.”

Qualifying Highlights and Race Positions

  • Pole Position: Max Verstappen
  • Front Row: Lewis Hamilton alongside Verstappen
  • Top Three: Kimi Antonelli completes the front three
  • George Russell: Starts seventh, behind Charles Leclerc (4th), Lando Norris (5th), and Oscar Piastri (6th)

Red Bull showed impressive pace in qualifying, boosting Verstappen’s confidence for his first win of the season. Russell sits second in the championship standings, trailing teammate Antonelli by 66 points.

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