Formula 1
Formula 1 parc fermé and scrutineering: what teams may change after qualifying
Parc fermé freezes the car's configuration around qualifying. This guide explains when it starts, permitted work, FIA checks and why an unauthorised set-up change can force a pit-lane start.
Parc fermé starts with the first qualifying pit-lane exit
For standard qualifying, a car enters parc fermé when it leaves the pit lane for the first time in Qualifying and remains under those conditions until the Race starts. On Sprint weekends a corresponding period runs from the first Sprint Qualifying pit-lane exit until the Sprint. Teams submit suspension set-up sheets before those first exits.
Only listed work is automatically allowed
Under parc fermé, only work listed in Appendix B2 is permitted without extra approval. Examples include servicing brake friction material, bleeding brakes, certain front-wing profile adjustments without adding, removing or replacing parts, removing bodywork for permitted work, cleaning the car and replacing specified fixings or cable ties.
Repairs and FIA checks remain controlled
Work outside the permitted list needs Technical Delegate approval after a written request; replacement parts generally must match the original in design and be similar in mass, inertia and function. The FIA can select cars for further checks after qualifying, with scrutineers and parc fermé cameras monitoring authorised work.
Breaking parc fermé can mean a pit-lane start
A competitor may not modify the car or change suspension set-up while it is held under parc fermé. At a standard-format event, a breach requires the driver to start the Race from the pit lane. On an alternative-format event, the timing of the breach determines whether the pit-lane start applies to the Sprint or the Race.