Excessive wear of floors: other disqualifications to come in Brazil?

Interlagos, scene of the Brazilian GP, ​​twentieth round of the season and sixth Sprint weekend of the year, the last of 2023. A format which, in addition to not yet being unanimous among the drivers, poses serious problems for the teams and engineers. The latest example, in Austin, raises many questions, but above all concern in the paddock.

In the United States, two pilots – Charles Leclerc et Lewis Hamilton – had been disqualified after the Grand Prix, for excessive wear of their floors. Victims of a bumpy track but also of the Parc Fermé rule, which applies from Friday afternoon and the start of Q1, the two men paid for the risks taken by their teams in terms of settings. Teams that had not seen warning signs of excessive wear during Free Practice…

In São Paulo, doubts are therefore back. Several drivers have expressed concerns about further disqualifications after the Brazilian GP. George Russell, reigning winner at Interlagos, spoke in particular on this subject.

“It will be a real challenge. In Austin we finished testing, we did our checks and there was no wear on the board. We thought everything was in order, confides the Briton. And then, with a little change in wind direction, putting 100 kilos of fuel in the car for the first time, a few laps in traffic, a few laps with no traffic on a really bumpy circuit, we suddenly found ourselves in a situation which we didn't expect. I have to be honest, at a circuit like [Interlagos], some teams can find themselves in the same situation, but it's part of the game.

Parc Fermé, the source of the problem?

Same story for Fernando Alonso, which recalls previous cases where teams have been close to disqualification this season. “In this year's sprint format, it was quite difficult for everyone to optimize the car, concedes the double Spanish world champion. There are always margins to take. In Baku, it is Alpine who had to start from the pit lane because she realized she might not be following the regulations. In Spa, both Red Bull stepped into Eau Rouge because they thought there might be a problem. Then in Austin, we have a few cars that were checked and a lot of cars that weren't checked, that weren't legal. I think here [in Brazil] everyone will be a little more conservative. »

These recurring problems are pushing team directors to call for a change in the regulations regarding Sprint formats. Some, like Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, even said that “the Parc Fermé of the Sprint format is a bit of a joke”, considering that a change is necessary for the future of the Sprint format.

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