Contentious <I>parc ferme</I> rules explained.

The FIA has laid out its initial rules and regulations governing the period of time between qualifying and race during a grand prix weekend, even though several teams are still fighting to get the new parc ferme clause overturned.

The FIA has decreed that, in order to prevent teams from building 'qualifying specials' designed to overcome the new-look timed session and all but guarantee front row starting spots, they must start the race with their cars in exactly the same condition as they finished qualifying. This means that special lightweight components that would not last a race duration cannot be fitted, and decisions will have to be taken regarding how much fuel each car carries in the timed session in order to help determine strategy in the race.

Only work designed to ensure the safety of drivers, spectators and team personnel will be permitted between the qualifying session and the race, with Sunday morning warm-up sessions abolished. As a result, the following procedures will apply from the first race of the season, in Melbourne, next weekend.

The parc ferm? procedure has two purposes. First, to check the cars for general conformity with the technical and sporting regulations and, secondly, to ensure that, in each case, the car which is scrutineered, qualified and raced is one and the same. Any car which did not take part in, or complete a flying lap in the second qualifying practice session will not normally be needed in the parc ferm?.

Accordingly, the cars will be deemed to be in parc ferm? from the end of their qualifying lap on Saturday until the green lights are illuminated at the start of the formation lap. For clarity, in the event of a delayed start or a race stoppage, the governing body insists that this refers only to the first formation lap.

Between these times, teams may carry out the following work:

* cooling devices may be fitted;* bodywork may be removed and/or cleaned;* cosmetic changes may be made to the bodywork;* any part of the car may be cleaned;* any parts which are removed from the car in order to carry out any work specifically permitted in the regulations must remain close to it and, at all times, be visible to the scrutineer assigned to the relevant car;

For safety reasons, no fuel may be added to or removed from the car between the second qualifying session and the race. This will avoid the danger that, in a search of extra performance during qualifying, the car could be assembled in a manner which, while optimum for qualifying with a minimal fuel load, might be unsuitable or even dangerous at the start of the race.

Immediately after entering the pits during 'second' qualifying, all cars which complete a flying lap will be stopped in the weighing area, weighed and then held in the central parc ferm? until the session is finished. The weight of the car at this time - without driver - will be used as a reference in the event of a driver using another race car and for comparison with the weight of the car immediately before the pit lane opens for the race.

Whilst the cars are being held in parc ferme, the governing body will allow two members from each team - not two per car - to be in the FIA's central area at any one time for the purpose of checking tyre pressures, connecting a jump battery under the supervision of the FIA, downloading data by physical connection to the car - again under the supervision of the FIA - fitting water heaters, carrying out any work required by the FIA technical delegate and changing tyres before the car is pushed back to the team's garage. Once any such work has been carried out the Team personnel must leave the central parc ferm? immediately.

Any tyres may be used when the car is returned to the central parc ferm? the same evening and back to the team's garage on Sunday morning. The wheels and tyres used for qualifying will be marked and/or sealed by the scrutineers before being released to the team.

No other work of any kind will be permitted at this time unless deemed absolutely necessary by the FIA Technical Delegate.

Once the Saturday afternoon qualifying session has finished, and all preliminary checks have been carried out by the FIA, the cars held in the central parc ferm? will be released simultaneously and teams will be permitted to push them back to their garages. Cars will remain under parc ferm? conditions throughout, however. From this point - and until 1800hrs - teams will be permitted to carry out certain areas of work under supervision of the scrutineers. These include the removal of wheels and any parts genuinely necessary to carry out essential safety checks; the starting of engines (including the use of an external fuel pressurising system if necessary); the drainage of compressed gases and fluids with a specific gravity of less than 1.1 (ie. not fuel); the fitting of heating devices and accessing of onboard electrical units via a physical connection.

No other work will be permitted during this time unless the FIA technical delegate is satisfied that it is absolutely necessary and has specifically authorised it.

At some time before 1800hrs, each team must take any car which completed a flying lap in the second qualifying practice back to the central parc ferm? area, with all parts used for qualifying re-fitted - other than wheels and tyres which, if they are not fitted to the car, must be taken separately - where they will remain secure until the following day. Whilst cars are in the central parc ferm?, they may be covered and fitted with devices to keep them warm, but no team personnel will be permitted there unless specifically authorised by the FIA technical delegate.

At 0800 on the day of the race - or earlier if the relevant event timetable makes this necessary - teams will be permitted to take their cars back to their garages where, once again, they will remain under full parc ferm? conditions until the green lights are switched on at the start of the formation lap. As well as similar procedures regarding fluids, compressed gases and starting of engines, only the following work on the cars will be permitted during this time:

* the repair of bona fide accident damage;

* the removal of wheels and tyres to facilitate rebalancing, adjustment of tyre pressures and fitting of tyre warmers;

*- with the exception of fuel, fluids with a specific gravity less than 1.1 may be drained and/or replenished, although no replenishment may take place less than one hour before the pit lane opens for the race;

* the main electrical battery may be changed and a jump battery connected;

During all reconnaissance laps, every car must be fitted with the same wheels and tyres that the driver used for his qualifying lap, and the race must also be started with these same wheels and tyres. If one or more tyres are damaged, and are deemed unusable by the FIA technical delegate, they may be replaced by other tyres which have been used for a greater number of laps than the damaged ones.

Also, in order to ensure that fluids are not being used as ballast, and that the car is therefore being raced as it was qualified, the FIA reserves the right to weigh cars at random during the hour preceding the opening of the pit-lane. When a car is weighed in this way, its weight must be within 3kg of that at the completion of its qualifying lap.

If the second qualifying practice is held in wet conditions, and the race is dry or vice versa, tyres may be changed and changes may be made to brake cooling ducts. If the FIA technical delegate is satisfied that changes in climatic conditions necessitate alterations to the specification of a car, then these too may be carried out, although only with his explicit approval.

In order that the scrutineers may be completely satisfied that no alterations have been made to the suspension systems or aerodynamic configuration of the car whilst in post-qualifying parc ferm?, it must be clear from physical inspection that changes cannot be made without the use of tools.

Any work not listed above may only be undertaken with the approval of the FIA technical delegate following a written request from the team concerned. It must be clear that any replacement part a team wishes to fit is similar in mass, inertia and function to the original. After the work has been carried out, the car must be submitted
for re-scrutineering. Any parts removed will be retained by the FIA.

One scrutineer will be allocated to each car for the purpose of ensuring that no unauthorised work is carried out whilst cars are being held under parc ferm? conditions. If any such unauthorised work is carried out, a report will be made to the stewards of the meeting. A list of additional work carried out with the specific agreement of the FIA technical delegate will be published prior to the race.

Finally, if deemed necessary for safety reasons, changes to the set-up of the suspension may be made in order to rectify any serious problem which may have been encountered during the qualifying session. However, any such changes may only be made in the pit-lane during the 15-minute period prior to the start of the first formation lap and under the supervision of the scrutineers.