FIA Declares Italian Grand Prix a Heat Hazard Event

The FIA has officially declared this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza a "Heat Hazard" event, activating a series of mandatory safety protocols in response to forecasts of extreme temperatures. The decision, announced by Race Director Rui Marques on Thursday, September 3, 2026, comes as the region around Milan and Monza braces for a significant heatwave, with temperatures predicted to exceed the 31°C threshold that triggers the governing body's heat stress procedures. The declaration, made in accordance with Article B1.5.10 of the FIA F1 Regulations, is based on forecasts from the official weather service. Temperatures are expected to climb well above the seasonal norm, with predictions of 33°C to 36°C across the weekend. The heat is anticipated to be most intense during Friday's practice sessions, with a high of 36°C forecast, before settling around 33°C to 35°C for qualifying and the race itself. The Heat Hazard protocol, introduced for the 2025 season, mandates additional driver cooling measures. Teams must fit advanced cooling systems to the cars, which increases the minimum vehicle weight by five kilograms to accommodate the hardware.