Guanyu Zhou finished his sprint race in the wall after just a few corners following a contact with the right front tire of Gasly’s AlphaTauri. With significant damages to his Alfa Romeo, the team had no other choice but to break Parc Ferme regulations.
By definition, the Parc Fermé ensures that no modifications are made to the car between two sessions, especially during qualifying and the race. This weekend, with the special sprint race format, the FIA has implemented a Parc Fermé between the sprint race and the main race – during which the F1 cars are sealed.
Alfa Romeo will have to repair Zhou’s race car all night long and therefore, as stipulated by the regulations, will have to start from the pit lane. Regardless, if Zhou finishes last in the sprint, he would have started from the back of the grid on Sunday.
