F1 News: Urgent Calls For Rule Changes After Dramatic 2023 Race

Ferrari's Fred Vasseur and Aston Martin's Tom McCullough call for rule change after the 2023 US Grand Prix.

The 2023 F1 season put a spotlight on the strict regulations that govern the sport, particularly during Sprint race weekends. This follows the controversy at the US Grand Prix, where Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton were disqualified after the race due to technical infringements, sparking debate among teams and officials.

Key Insights:

• Technical Rule Breach at the US Grand Prix: The disqualification of both Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was a consequence of exceeding the allowable skid block wear, largely attributed to the demanding nature of the Circuit of the Americas track. These infractions were compounded by the Parc Ferme regulations, which severely limit teams' ability to adjust their car setups during race weekends.
• Strategic Choices by Teams: Faced with the dilemma of either adjusting their car setups and starting from the pit lane or adhering to the Parc Ferme rules, Ferrari and Mercedes opted for the latter. This decision, while adhering to the regulations, unfortunately led to their drivers' disqualification.
• Advocacy for Flexible Sprint Race Regulations: Ferrari's Frederic Vasseur and Aston Martin's Tom McCullough have called for a reconsideration of the current Sprint race regulations. They suggest more leniency, particularly in areas like cooling and ride height adjustments, to adapt to the unique challenges of each race weekend.

Mercedes Press Image

Ferrari team chief Frederic Vasseur highlighted the difficulties faced under the current regulations, saying to the media:

"I can say that I'm very happy to block the Parc Ferme when were disqualified in Austin.

"The issue is that you have only FP1 to do the setup of the car, for the cooling, for ride height. Sometimes in the FP1 if you have a small issue or even if the drivers are not taking the line they will take later into the weekend, it's very difficult and you are blind.

"It's a good one to open Parc Ferme, but perhaps we can discuss about which parameter will be open. But at least for cooling and ride heights and so, it's the right decision to do it."

Ferrari Press Image

Tom McCullough, Aston Martin's Performance Director, echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for rule evolution to accommodate changing conditions. He pointed out:

"It's a matter of evolving the rules to achieve what we're all trying to achieve. We allow certain things to be changed. You can change brake material, you can do various bits and bobs.

"Obviously, we can't change the skids and the plank on the car, therefore you've got to make some decisions on very limited running very early.

"There are things like the weather effects that, a headwind to a tailwind and a big straight can influence that and forecasting that three days in advance is tough.

"So I think tweaks to the regulations are always welcome from an engineering side of things, but I don't think we should get rid of it."