Albon praises Williams cooling suit despite failure in opening 10 laps

Alex Albon praised Williams’ cooling suit after the Singapore Grand Prix, despite it not working for the first 10 laps of his race. He said he thought it would be a long race; the suit then switched on and became comfortable. Albon credited Williams’ work on the device and described it as the best on the grid.

The suit was an option under the Heat Hazard declared for the Marina Bay race: drivers could wear it or carry the corresponding ballast. Carlos Sainz had also praised Williams’ vest earlier in the weekend. At Thursday’s media sessions, other drivers voiced reservations: Pierre Gasly said he had no need for one, Isack Hadjar argued it should be banned and Max Verstappen said the cables restricted his movement.

Kimi Antonelli’s position was conditional: he said he might use a vest once he could trust it to work consistently. He recalled an Austin pump failure that left the system pumping water at 50°C; he said he suffered heat stroke after the session.

Separately, brake overheating forced Albon into substantial race management. He retired late in the race.