Fred Vasseur explains why “Parc Fermé rules have to be revised” especially for Sprint weekends. Fred Vasseur believes it would be appropriate to revisit the Parc Ferme regulation.

The F1 Commission has highlighted the Parc Fermé as one of the discussion points on the agenda for 2024. During Sprint weekends, the current regulations freeze the car setup after just one free practice session, essentially turning the Sprint into a ‘preview’ of what will happen in the Sunday Grand Prix, with the only difference being that no mandatory pit stops are scheduled in the Sprint.

Max Verstappen has emphasized on multiple occasions how inappropriate it is that teams can no longer make adjustments to the cars. The three-time champion much prefers to ‘build’ the race weekend in terms of performance during the three regular free practice sessions preceding Saturday’s Qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix. The rigidity of the regulations, for example, led to the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton’s and Charles Leclerc’s cars at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, USA, after the Grand Prix due to excessive wear on the underfloor. With only one free practice session available, the ride height set on a track as bumpy as the Circuit of the Americas proved insufficient.

During the Christmas lunch in Maranello, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur emphasized that, from his point of view, it would be a sensible choice to partially revise the Parc Fermé regulations: “I can’t say we were happy with Parc Fermé in Austin. The problem is that you have only one free practice session to set up the car, ride heights, cooling, and more. Sometimes, when you have a small issue in FP1, you can’t find your way for the rest of the weekend, and you race blind. Changing some of the Parc Fermé rules could be positive. Maybe we can discuss which aspects to open. It would be the right decision.” – the French manager concluded.

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