Within the first a part of an interview for f1ingenerale, Chillout Motorsport, represented by Charles Kline, defined the historical past of the model. Among the many numerous anecdotes and product particulars, the preliminary suggestions from drivers who examined the brand new system was additionally revealed. Amongst them was Charles Leclerc, who expressed nice satisfaction with the brand new cooling equipment in his remarks.
The brand new equipment will debut within the 2025 season and represents a major step ahead for driver well being and security. It can assist drivers keep away from experiences like these in Qatar 2023, the place the mixture of humidity and temperature posed important challenges. With the introduction of the brand new 2026 F1 vehicles, additional modifications are anticipated, together with higher integration of the equipment with the car.
Are you able to describe how this method works? Is it built-in with the automotive or linked to the driving force’s go well with?
At the moment, the system is standalone, with its personal battery. It’s considerably heavy, weighing about 2.4 kg. It’s mounted contained in the automotive and operates independently, positioned behind the pedals in some vehicles and on the perimeters of the chassis in others. This setup is actually a retrofit, an adaptation. We’ll see what occurs in 2026, though it might be difficult. Since it’s separate from the automotive, there are not any controls other than a button. In the intervening time, it’s merely an on/off system. Temperatures are pre-set and programmed for the driving force’s consolation, tailor-made to every particular person. By 2026, we hope to combine it with the automotive, maybe by rising the scale of the alternator to get rid of the battery and the related weight.
We’ve seen that Charles Leclerc was among the many first drivers to check it. What was his impression?
I consider we addressed all the problems he didn’t like, from seat configuration to belt positioning. We additionally adjusted the structure of the “tubes” barely based mostly on his suggestions. We needed to make sure there have been no stress factors the place tubes may overlap. We paid additional consideration to particulars on parts that wouldn’t sometimes pose issues. However sure, the suggestions I obtained from him, conveyed via some Ferrari personnel, was constructive. They informed me he would have favored to make use of the system in each race. He doesn’t suppose it’s needed just for scorching races however believes it must be utilized in each race. He significantly appreciated the added consolation and vitality it offers.
Some drivers consider it may give a aggressive edge to others who could also be extra heat-tolerant. I received’t title names, however it’s straightforward to guess who. That mentioned, nearly all of suggestions on the system has been overwhelmingly constructive—not simply from us or the groups, but in addition from the drivers. Nevertheless, I believe they received’t find yourself utilizing the system in each race. At the moment, we don’t know if it will likely be categorized as a security machine. However I consider that if we will show that it reduces errors and helps drivers carry out higher, drive sooner, and extra safely, its worth will turn out to be evident.
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