THE EXPERT MECHANIC'S KIT IN THE PARC FERMÉ (AND ALL THE WAYS TO USE IT)

In karting, the expression "parc fermé" stands for a dedicated area of the circuit (which is set up during races), located near the track’s entry and exit routes, which the drivers go into at the start - or when they have to stop during or at the end - of an official track session (qualifying, heats, races, etc.). The area is where they meet up with their mechanics (one per driver), with whom they can discuss issues and make small last-minute set-up adjustments or any repairs that can be done quickly and don’t require a return to the tent. In order to carry out any type of work on the chassis, you need to have the right tools at hand to avoid wasting time which can be very costly when the session is about to start, is short or is about to finish. That’s why it’s essential to always have a small toolbox available that contains the most important tools, which allow you to avoid being caught unprepared. In this “How To | All the kart driver's tools for assistance out on the track” we’ve analysed which tools, in general, must always be present in a kart driver's kit and, not being able to bring all the equipment into parc fermé every time, which of them are the most commonly used and useful to have with you when you go from the tent to the track? We find out thanks to the support of Thomas Mardaga, a highly experienced professional mechanic, whom we spoke to during a round of the OK and OKJ category 2023 FIA Karting European Championship.

Editor's note
It’s important to underline that during race weekends no work can be performed on the chassis or engine by drivers or mechanics when they get to the parc fermé during or at the end of a qualifying session or a race. That’s because the regulations are that, once these sessions have been completed and decide the standings, the kart must remain in the exact same condition as when it stopped, allowing the race marshals to assess whether all the components conform with the technical regulations. This rule is called "parc fermé regime" and begins when the kart is lowered to the ground during the pre-grid phase and ends when the parc fermé opens at the end of the checks. This doesn’t mean that a damaged kart, which returns to the parc fermé during any official session, cannot be repaired to allow it to resume the session, albeit obviously under the watchful eye of the technical stewards, who ensure that the work carried out are only repairs and not modifications.