Parc Fermé

[Scootin159]

Parc Ferme wasn't introduced to keep people from changing wing angles between qualifying and the race. It was to keep top teams from developing essentially two cars - one which was quick for a lap, and one which was quick, but could last a race distance. Before Parc Ferme, there was such a thing as qualifying engines and qualifying tires.

Even with today's ruleset, teams could still develop a qualifying engine - swapping it in and out before and after qualifying for each race weekend.

It also wouldn't take much imagination to see them developing all sorts of things which would be qualifying specific. Thinner and lighter brake linings, with smaller brake ducts. Close up that bodywork as well - certainly those electronic components could survive a lap without any cooling. For that matter, I could see a team even eliminating air cooling to the engine, instead replacing it with some sort of heat sink system. Of course, that could mean adding significant weight, which would need to come from other components. So... do you think the engineers could design 10% weight loss out of every component of the car, if it only needed to last one lap?

I think you can see where this would get VERY expensive VERY quick...

[Zynerji]

Parc Ferme wasn't introduced to keep people from changing wing angles between qualifying and the race. It was to keep top teams from developing essentially two cars - one which was quick for a lap, and one which was quick, but could last a race distance. Before Parc Ferme, there was such a thing as qualifying engines and qualifying tires.

Even with today's ruleset, teams could still develop a qualifying engine - swapping it in and out before and after qualifying for each race weekend.

It also wouldn't take much imagination to see them developing all sorts of things which would be qualifying specific. Thinner and lighter brake linings, with smaller brake ducts. Close up that bodywork as well - certainly those electronic components could survive a lap without any cooling. For that matter, I could see a team even eliminating air cooling to the engine, instead replacing it with some sort of heat sink system. Of course, that could mean adding significant weight, which would need to come from other components. So... do you think the engineers could design 10% weight loss out of every component of the car, if it only needed to last one lap?

I think you can see where this would get VERY expensive VERY quick...

Button survived a few laps at Monaco a few years ago with one sidepod completely sealed.

Im surprised that we don't see sidepod inserts for qualifying now actually...

[henry]

Parc Ferme wasn't introduced to keep people from changing wing angles between qualifying and the race. It was to keep top teams from developing essentially two cars - one which was quick for a lap, and one which was quick, but could last a race distance. Before Parc Ferme, there was such a thing as qualifying engines and qualifying tires.

Even with today's ruleset, teams could still develop a qualifying engine - swapping it in and out before and after qualifying for each race weekend.

It also wouldn't take much imagination to see them developing all sorts of things which would be qualifying specific. Thinner and lighter brake linings, with smaller brake ducts. Close up that bodywork as well - certainly those electronic components could survive a lap without any cooling. For that matter, I could see a team even eliminating air cooling to the engine, instead replacing it with some sort of heat sink system. Of course, that could mean adding significant weight, which would need to come from other components. So... do you think the engineers could design 10% weight loss out of every component of the car, if it only needed to last one lap?

I think you can see where this would get VERY expensive VERY quick...

Button survived a few laps at Monaco a few years ago with one sidepod completely sealed.

Im surprised that we don't see sidepod inserts for qualifying now actually...

The relevant part of the Sporting regulations is:

o) If the FIA technical delegate is satisfied that changes in climatic conditions necessitate alterations to the specification of a car, changes may be made to the air ducts around the front and rear brakes and radiator ducts. These changes may be made at any time after all teams have been sent the message “CHANGE IN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS” via the official messaging system. From this point onwards the choice of air ducts around the front and rear brakes and radiator ducts is free and pitot tubes may be covered or uncovered, subject always to compliance with the relevant Technical Regulations.

So no surprise that they don’t change them.

The full list of what they may change is in section 34 of the Sporting Regulations.

@scootin159 has it right. The oranges of this parc fermé requirement was the stated intentions of some designers to build qualifying special cars. My memory says one of those was Adrian Newey.

[Jolle]

Parc Ferme wasn't introduced to keep people from changing wing angles between qualifying and the race. It was to keep top teams from developing essentially two cars - one which was quick for a lap, and one which was quick, but could last a race distance. Before Parc Ferme, there was such a thing as qualifying engines and qualifying tires.

Even with today's ruleset, teams could still develop a qualifying engine - swapping it in and out before and after qualifying for each race weekend.

It also wouldn't take much imagination to see them developing all sorts of things which would be qualifying specific. Thinner and lighter brake linings, with smaller brake ducts. Close up that bodywork as well - certainly those electronic components could survive a lap without any cooling. For that matter, I could see a team even eliminating air cooling to the engine, instead replacing it with some sort of heat sink system. Of course, that could mean adding significant weight, which would need to come from other components. So... do you think the engineers could design 10% weight loss out of every component of the car, if it only needed to last one lap?

I think you can see where this would get VERY expensive VERY quick...

Button survived a few laps at Monaco a few years ago with one sidepod completely sealed.

Im surprised that we don't see sidepod inserts for qualifying now actually...

It was only sealed for the lap to the grid. And that already made the car fail.

[Pingguest]

Parc Ferme wasn't introduced to keep people from changing wing angles between qualifying and the race. It was to keep top teams from developing essentially two cars - one which was quick for a lap, and one which was quick, but could last a race distance. Before Parc Ferme, there was such a thing as qualifying engines and qualifying tires.

Even with today's ruleset, teams could still develop a qualifying engine - swapping it in and out before and after qualifying for each race weekend.

It also wouldn't take much imagination to see them developing all sorts of things which would be qualifying specific. Thinner and lighter brake linings, with smaller brake ducts. Close up that bodywork as well - certainly those electronic components could survive a lap without any cooling. For that matter, I could see a team even eliminating air cooling to the engine, instead replacing it with some sort of heat sink system. Of course, that could mean adding significant weight, which would need to come from other components. So... do you think the engineers could design 10% weight loss out of every component of the car, if it only needed to last one lap?

I think you can see where this would get VERY expensive VERY quick...

Qualifying specials were already common in the eighties. Without the post-qualifying parc ferme teams could turn up the turbo boost, making the engines produce almost 1,500 bhp. One team in particular did not have so-called qualifying engines: McLaren. Despite that, they won three drivers' championships (1984, 1985 and 1986) and two constructors' championships (1984 and 1986). In those years Lauda and Prost simply had to fight during the race. But as over taking became increasingly difficult, qualifying specials became increasingly necessary.

[strad]

I was around for qualifying specials but we can regulate against that without disallowing "adjustments" and "settings".

[Pingguest]

I was around for qualifying specials but we can regulate against that without disallowing "adjustments" and "settings".

That is indeed possible. Although I would to see this piece of legislation to be undone, relaxing the regulations would be a step into the right direction.

[Just_a_fan]

Button survived a few laps at Monaco a few years ago with one sidepod completely sealed.

Im surprised that we don't see sidepod inserts for qualifying now actually...

It was only sealed for the lap to the grid. And that already made the car fail.

No, the foam block was in the sidepod opening for the race. They weren't allowed to remove it because they only noticed after the time when the mechanics must not touch the car. They then started the race with it in which would probably have been ok if they were at full speed. But there was an early safety car which mean not enough air was going through the hole in the foam block and the engine cooked.

The foam block was used as a sealing piece around the pit/grid cooling fan. When the fan was removed, the block was left in the sidepod opening. The hole that the fan fitted in to meant that there was some air flow through the block to the radiator behind but only when travelling at speed. Not enough at low speed. They might have got away with it if there hadn't been a safety car.