F1 gives a deadline for an important decision about the Austrian Grand Prix
The FIA, which oversees Formula One, has told SPORTbible that a deadline is set for a big decision before the Austrian Grand Prix. This race, the eighth of the 2026 season, will be held at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, on June 28.
The track is one of the most beautiful on the calendar. It sits 700 meters above sea level and is surrounded by the Styrian mountains. It’s also shorter than most other tracks and has the fewest corners in Formula One right now. This often leads to exciting races, as the track puts a lot of strain on the tires and features many heavy braking zones that help with overtaking.
Besides the unique layout, the weather will play a role this weekend. BBC Weather expects temperatures to reach 32°C on Friday during practice, then go up to 34°C for Saturday’s qualifying and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
When SPORTbible asked, the FIA said a “heat hazard” is usually declared if temperatures go over 31°C before the event starts, which looks likely this time. Heat hazards were introduced before the 2025 season and have been declared at the Singapore and United States Grands Prix.
If declared, teams are told by the FIA and must install a Driver Cooling System. Drivers can wear cooling vests, but it’s not required. FIA rules say drivers can choose not to wear parts of the cooling gear, but the rest of the system, including cooling fluids, must be used. Any extra weight from the cooling gear must be balanced with 0.5kg of ballast inside the car.
The FIA confirmed cooling systems on the cars are always mandatory if a heat hazard is declared. They also said the race probably won’t be delayed or stopped, but the heat will affect the cars a lot, especially the engine and tires. Teams will need to adjust during the race.
On June 24, the FIA told SPORTbible that the race team will decide whether to declare a heat hazard by 9:30 am on June 25, a day before the races start.
According to F1.com, the Driver Cooling System works by pumping cold fluid through a fireproof vest with tubes worn by the driver. All main parts must be on the cars if there is a heat hazard, but again, wearing the vest is up to the driver.
Because the cooling systems add weight, the car’s minimum weight limit will increase a bit. There will be an extra 2kg for practice and qualifying, and an extra 5kg for the Grand Prix itself.