FIA declares Austrian Grand Prix a heat-hazard race amid European heatwave
Formula 1 flagged the Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg as a heat-hazard race after forecasts topped a 31.0 C heat-index trigger. Teams can use cooling systems; drivers who skip them must add ballast.
Formula 1’s governing body declared the Austrian Grand Prix a heat-hazard race at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring, activating a driver-safety protocol for a weekend forecast to push conditions into medical-risk territory. The FIA issued the notice on 25 June 2026 at 09:13, after the official weather service forecast a heat index above 31.0 C at some point during the race weekend. It is the first time the designation has been used in Formula 1 this season.
The rule sits in Article B1.5.10 of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations. Under the protocol, teams may run driver cooling systems, while drivers who choose not to use them must carry ballast as a penalty. The Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled for 26-28 June 2026, with the Red Bull Ring expected to be the center of the heat risk.
The declaration landed as a Europe-wide heatwave drove temperatures across Austria into the mid-30s C. Forecasts put track temperatures above 50 C, and the Styrian circuit faces heat that raises the strain on drivers, who can lose fluid rapidly and struggle with visibility, concentration and reaction time as core temperatures climb.
The 2024 Qatar Grand Prix’s extreme conditions forced the governing body to tighten its procedures.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
