Mercedes Tackles Seat Heat Issue Ahead of Italian Grand Prix
As the Formula 1 schedule heats up at the Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes is working diligently to address a severe seat heat issue that plagued its drivers during Friday’s FP2 session. The German manufacturer has dominated the early storylines from Monza, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s crash and announcement of his 2025 race seat promotion, but it was also affected by overheating seats on Friday.
Lewis Hamilton, who topped Monza FP2, described the issue as “ridiculously roasting in our car,” suggesting that it might be caused by hot air leakage from the radiators. “It was very hot,” he added. “Like sitting on a sauna with no shorts on sort of pain!” George Russell also experienced the issue, prompting Mercedes to investigate and implement solutions.
Autosport understands that the team believes the problem could be related to a cockpit heat soak issue caused by rising Energy Recovery System temperatures, which are spreading from the power unit on this hot Monza weekend. The layout of the track, which features long straights, is also being considered as a potential factor.
Mercedes is testing various theories to address the issue, including the possibility that the low-running ground-effect cars are generating excessive heat due to friction on the track. By lifting the ride height of the car, the team can alleviate some of the cockpit heat issue, but this comes at the cost of reduced downforce and performance on the long straights.
This issue is particularly relevant given Hamilton’s recent comments on Formula 1 news that introducing air conditioning units to F1 cars is not necessary. The FIA is currently assessing an experimental system that was trialled during the Dutch GP last weekend.
“It was very hot. Like sitting on a sauna with no shorts on sort of pain!”
- Lewis Hamilton
Despite the seat issue, Hamilton remains confident, topping Monza FP2 ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. However, he emphasized the need for caution in set-up decisions to avoid compromising the car’s competitiveness. With the Italian GP weekend underway, Mercedes will continue to fine-tune its approach to overcome the seat heat issue and secure a strong result.
🔗 Source