Max Verstappen, despite being successful in sprints in recent seasons, has voiced his disapproval of adding an extra event to the weekend. The new timetable for this year includes a shootout on Friday followed by the sprint and main qualifying on Saturday. While teams were previously locked into an unchanged car specification from FP1 onwards, there are now two parc ferme periods, allowing adjustments between the sprint and qualifying. Verstappen, however, believes that these changes won’t necessarily improve the actual racing. He mentioned, “But at least I think it’s better that you’re still able to change the car for the weekend.”
Carlos Sainz from Ferrari is one of the drivers who appreciates the flexibility that the revised parc ferme regulations have brought in. He expressed his discontent with last year’s parc ferme rules, stating that he was put on the back foot for the rest of the weekend without being able to make changes after FP1. Sainz emphasized that drivers and teams should be allowed to make adjustments if the car is not performing as expected. Although he supports the recent changes, he also believes that more alterations to the sprint format could have been beneficial.
RB technical director, Jody Egginton, has welcomed the freedom to make changes to the cars during the parc ferme periods. However, he warned that this flexibility puts extra stress on teams, requiring more factory simulation input and additional workload for engineers and mechanics over the weekend. Despite the advantages of being able to optimize the cars, Egginton mentioned the need to be sensible about working hours and operations. He appreciates the change that has been made but acknowledges the pros and cons that come with it.
The reactions from Formula 1 drivers and teams towards the new parc ferme rules are varied. While some like Verstappen are skeptical about the impact on actual racing, others like Sainz welcome the flexibility to make adjustments to the cars. The freedom to change the cars during the parc ferme periods has its pros and cons, as mentioned by RB technical director Jody Egginton. The changes in the sprint format may not have satisfied all parties, but they are seen as a step in the right direction. It remains to be seen how these new regulations will affect the upcoming races and whether they will lead to more competitive and exciting on-track action.
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