F1 timetable tweak risks opening “can of worms” - Wolff

Toto Wolff fears a proposed rules tweak to majorly restrict how Formula 1 teams can work on their cars throughout practice risks opening a “can of worms”. 

With F1 bosses and the FIA in the middle of plans to re-shape the sporting and technical regulations of the championship for 2021, a new suggestion has surfaced over the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. 

Plans for parc fermé scrutineering checks to take place on Friday mornings - instead of a current slot ahead of the start of qualifying - have been put forward to teams in an attempt to reduce the workload on F1 staff and help cut costs. 

The move would see practice sessions pushed back to a later time on Fridays, meaning parc fermé conditions would come into force prior to track running commencing and therefore limit teams to the amount of major set-up changes that can be carried out. 

“I think if you can compress without reducing the show, then that is something we should look at,” Wolff said.

“I believe that for the promoters it is not great. The Friday is an important day when they are able to generate some revenue and attract some audiences. 

“We are not keen on the parc fermé format from Friday to Sunday,” he added. “There is no motor racing formula out there that doesn’t allow the cars to be touched over the weekend and I don’t think we should start with Formula 1 - the pinnacle of motor racing. 

“You open up a can of worms with penalties because cars will end up in the wall and they will need to rebuilt. 

“I think from the sheer idea of how we can add more variability, more unpredictability, have more cars braking down, I think we will achieve the contrary. 

“We will spend more time and resource in the virtual world, runs cars harder on dynos to make them last, because we know we can’t take them apart over three days, so I don’t think this is something we should touch. There are many other areas that make sense, but this one, not for us.”

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost shared Wolff’s concerns about revenue, which he feels outweighs potential problems caused by a change to the parc fermé rules.

“I’m not a big friend of this solution to be honest,” Tost said. “As Toto mentioned before, Friday is an important day also for the organisers from the financial side. 

“Whether we are now here one day earlier or later at the track, I don’t think this makes a big difference. 

“We have to increase the show, we have to reduce the costs, we have to distribute the money in a fair way. I think these are the most important points. 

“The parc fermé story is absolutely secondary. It’s being discussed now among the teams but I don’t think these changes are important for the topics I just mentioned before. 

“I think we don’t need to change anything in this way.”

Haas chief Guenther Steiner added: “We just need to plan it well, how we do it, so that we are prepared for it. We adapt all pretty quick here. There’s enough people working at it. 

“That would be one of the solutions – to start on Friday the event, which now starts on Thursday, because we are all here, but we could do that job also from other places. 

“That would be one of the solutions and that I think is the intent of it.”