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Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport
Rahaan Mazumder

Mercedes defends its decision to reject crucial FIA driver aid

With the extreme heat and humidity of the Southeast Asian double-header taking a brutal physical toll on the 2026 grid, driver cooling systems have become a massive talking point. While the FIA specifically created a financial allowance for teams to develop liquid-cooled driver vests to prevent heat exhaustion, Mercedes shocked the paddock by confirming they opted out of the program entirely.

Mercedes targets performance over comfort

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