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 package in his remarks.
The brand new package will debut within the 2025 season and represents a major step ahead for driver well being and security. It’s going to assist drivers keep away from experiences like these in Qatar 2023, the place the mixture of humidity and temperature posed vital challenges. With the introduction of the brand new 2026 F1 automobiles, additional modifications are anticipated, together with higher integration of the package with the car.
Are you able to describe how this technique works? Is it built-in with the automobile 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 automobile and operates independently, positioned behind the pedals in some automobiles 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 could be difficult. Since it’s separate from the automobile, there aren’t any controls other than a button. In the meanwhile, 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 automobile, maybe by rising the dimensions 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 imagine we addressed all the problems he didn’t like, from seat configuration to belt positioning. We additionally adjusted the format of the “tubes” barely based mostly on his suggestions. We needed to make sure there have been no stress factors the place tubes would possibly overlap. We paid further consideration to particulars on parts that wouldn’t sometimes pose issues. However sure, the suggestions I acquired from him, conveyed by some Ferrari personnel, was optimistic. They advised me he would have favored to make use of the system in each race. He doesn’t assume it’s essential just for scorching races however believes it must be utilized in each race. He notably appreciated the added consolation and vitality it gives.
Some drivers imagine it might give a aggressive edge to others who could also be extra heat-tolerant. I gained’t title names, but it surely’s straightforward to guess who. That stated, the vast majority of suggestions on the system has been overwhelmingly optimistic—not simply from us or the groups, but in addition from the drivers. Nonetheless, I feel they gained’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 imagine that if we are able to show that it reduces errors and helps drivers carry out higher, drive quicker, and extra safely, its worth will turn into evident.
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