Ocon Slams 2026 Cooling System: “Unusable” in F1 Cockpit

Esteban Ocon has criticized F1’s 2026 cooling system, calling it “unusable” due to its size and discomfort inside the cockpit.

In 2026, drivers will be required to use a mandatory cooling system in single-seaters during extreme heat. Esteban Ocon tested the system and believes it is unusable in its current state, as it is far too painful due to the space it occupies in the cockpit and the forces applied.

“At the moment, we cannot use the cooling vest—I don’t think anyone can. That’s the reality,” Ocon stated. “The tubes are too big, so you have tubes all around, which is fine; you have tubes on your back, which is fine.”

“But there is a huge tennis ball-sized lump on the side, on your hip, and it hurts with the harness. If you put it at the back, you can’t sit in the seat. If you put it on the side, you can’t sit in the seat.”

“So yes, right now, it doesn’t work for us, or at least with what I tried. And from what I’ve heard from other drivers, it’s very similar. As long as we don’t end up in a Qatar-like situation, we should be able to drive—that’s what I believe.”

“It’s a good thing that the FIA has been able to provide us with a solution and propose something. But for now, I can’t use it. I’m not speaking for others, but myself and Ollie [Bearman]—we can’t use it.”

“The product itself, which is standardized, is not usable. It’s too big. You know how tight an F1 seat is. Where all the tubes connect, it’s like a knot of tubes. That’s why it’s too big.”

According to Ocon, the issue with this system is that it has limited room for improvement: “If you want a seat with a huge hole, no. It is very difficult to get a proper seat. If you make such a cutout, you will massively lose flexibility.”

“The only way to improve the situation is to reduce the number of these knots or find a solution like some road cars, for example, which have an air-conditioning system integrated into the seat—something that isn’t necessary on the road.”

The Frenchman insists he is not opposing the system without reason: “I’m happy to have the system on board and add the weight, and if we don’t want to use it, we don’t use it.”

“But right now, we can’t use it, so it’s not like I’m being a diva and refusing to use it. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I would like to use it if that were the case. So no, it’s just that it doesn’t work for me.”