The hottest races in F1
The 2023 Qatar Grand Prix is the race drivers name first: one retired, one was sick in his helmet and several needed the medical centre. Singapore is the hot race every year, and in 2025 it became the first race where the FIA declared a heat hazard.
Qatar, October 2023
The race at Lusail on 8 October 2023 ran in heat and humidity that left the drivers wrecked. Logan Sargeant retired with what his team called intense dehydration, Esteban Ocon said he was sick in his helmet, Lance Stroll said he was passing out behind the wheel and Alex Albon was checked for heat exposure. George Russell said his cockpit went above 50 °C.
What the drivers said
Max Verstappen, who won, called it definitely way too hot. Lando Norris said they had probably found the limit, with people ending up in the medical centre or passing out, and Oscar Piastri said it felt like 57 qualifying laps. Albon said later that it came close to the wet bulb effect, where the air is so humid that sweat can no longer cool you down.
What the FIA did
The next day the FIA said the heat and humidity had affected the drivers' wellbeing, and that elite athletes should not be asked to race in conditions that put their health at risk. It said it would look at guidance for the teams, cockpit airflow and the calendar. The 2024 race in Qatar was held on 1 December, two months later in the year.
Singapore, every year
Singapore is the hot race on the calendar every year: close to two hours on a bumpy street track, late in the evening and still hot and very humid. Leclerc's trainer calls it the most demanding track of the year, because there are no long straights where the heart can slow down. Drivers arrive early to get used to the climate and train in saunas in the weeks before.
The heat hazard rule
In October 2025 the FIA declared a heat hazard in Singapore for the first time, with 31 °C forecast and humidity above 75 percent. Drivers could then wear a liquid cooled vest, and the car's minimum weight went up by 5 kg to carry the kit. George Russell said cockpits there get to nearly 60 degrees in 90 percent humidity, a bit of a sauna inside the car.