Imagine you’ve just watched 90 minutes of nail-biting racing action, witnessed too many near misses to count and seen drivers squabble the second they step out of the car. Now imagine that F1 have mic’d up said drivers, stuck them all in a confined space and let them rewatch some of their finest, and at times worst moments on the big screen. At its core, this is the F1 cooldown room.
Before Drive to Survive, casual and dedicated F1 fans alike could gawk at the misfortune and squabbles of their favorite drivers thanks to the cooldown room. In its modern form, this procedure sees the top three drivers head to a room to, as the name suggests, cool down before stepping out onto the podium for the celebrations and trophy presentations.
Before Drive to Survive, casual and dedicated F1 fans alike could gawk at the misfortune and squabbles of their favorite drivers thanks to the cooldown room. In its modern form, this procedure sees the top three drivers head to a room to, as the name suggests, cool down before stepping out onto the podium for the celebrations and trophy presentations.
Max Verstappen practically lived there when dominating the 2023 season, but this year the cooldown room has displayed potential once again, providing viewers with the juiciest gossip and driver reactions to on-track overtakes and mishaps.
Most notably, Lando Norris showing his age in Hungary this year when he delivered a bizarre retort to Lewis Hamilton‘s compliment on the papaya’s speed.
The seven-time champion was left gobsmacked after Norris declared that Hamilton had had his time in a fast car seven years ago and it was now McLaren‘s turn. Thanks to the cooldown room, the 24-year-old will be able to reflect on that unflattering interaction for many years to come.
George Russell has often found himself in the cooldown room having unsuspectingly benefitted from the misfortune of his rivals.
His second career victory was delivered in shock fashion after he looked set to achieve no higher than P3. Thanks to an inevitable late-race collision from Verstappen and Norris however, the two championship rivals took each other out of contention for the win, making way for Russell to sail through and claim victory, leading to even more cooldown room entertainment.
What is the F1 cooldown room?
In F1, the top three drivers are required to head to a room at the end of each grand prix before walking out onto the podium to celebrate their success in front of thousands of adoring fans.
This procedure acts as an optimal time for drivers to not only reflect on their own achievements but also ensure they are feeling up to attending the podium. With a sport as physically demanding as F1, it is vital the drivers are given an opportunity to rehydrate following their grueling fight for a podium position.
Amongst the drama, drivers will often be seen sipping on bottles of ice-cool water, if they can have the sponsored energy drink prized out of their hands that is, using towels to mop their brows, appreciating the cool breeze of the fans provided and taking a seat on the chairs to ensure they recuperate.
