Parc ferme

Parc ferme — French for closed park — is the state a Formula 1 car enters once qualifying begins, after which teams are barred from making setup changes before the race. Mechanics can only perform a restricted list of jobs; alter anything on the prohibited list and the driver starts from the pit lane. The rule stops teams from running a low-fuel qualifying special and rebuilding the car overnight, forcing a single setup compromise across qualifying and the race. PlanetF1's explainer covers exactly how the FIA enforces it.