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 varied 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 should assist drivers keep away from experiences like these in Qatar 2023, the place the mix 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 equipment with the automobile.
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 basically a retrofit, an adaptation. We’ll see what occurs in 2026, though it might be difficult. Since it’s separate from the automobile, 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 automobile, maybe by growing 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 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 wished to make sure there have been no strain factors the place tubes may overlap. We paid additional consideration to particulars on parts that wouldn’t usually pose issues. However sure, the suggestions I obtained from him, conveyed by some Ferrari personnel, was constructive. They informed me he would have appreciated to make use of the system in each race. He doesn’t suppose it’s vital just for sizzling races however believes it needs to be utilized in each race. He significantly appreciated the added consolation and power it supplies.
Some drivers imagine it might give a aggressive edge to others who could also be extra heat-tolerant. I received’t title names, but it surely’s simple to guess who. That mentioned, the vast majority of suggestions on the system has been overwhelmingly constructive—not simply from us or the groups, but additionally 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 is going to be categorized as a security machine. However I imagine that if we will show that it reduces errors and helps drivers carry out higher, drive quicker, and extra safely, its worth will change into evident.
Supply: f1ingenerale