Sporting regulations
As part of the effort to tightly control costs, Formula BMW follows the lead set by most junior single seater formulae by strictly limiting testing. During the season, teams and drivers are primarily limited to a small number of official test days, the cost of which is reimbursed by the series organisers. The teams are allowed to test at circuits that do not host championship events, provided they do not use a driver that competes in the championship. On-board data-loggers are used to monitor each team's on-track activity between race weekends, and illegal running is likely to incur a fine or suspension.[23] Each chassis is subject to safety inspections by the scrutineers, and may be replaced only if it is deemed necessary due to irreparable accident damage. If this occurs after a qualifying session, that driver's times have to be annulled and the driver must start at the back of the grid. Spare cars (second cars for use in the event of a problem with the first car) are not permitted.[24] At the end of each session or race, the cars have to be submitted to the scrutineers under Parc ferme conditions.[25] The use of treaded rain tires in place of the normal slick tires is permitted only when the race director deems it necessary in any given session or race, and he reserves the right to mandate their use when conditions are severe.[26] For safety reasons, the pitlane is subject to a 60-km/h (37.5-mph) speed limit, violation of which will result in a drive-through penalty.[27] Drivers must wear FIA-specification helmets and use the Head And Neck Support (HANS) restraint system.[28] Each race begins with a formation lap behind the safety car, prior to the start itself. During this lap,
the drivers must maintain position and not perform dangerous actions such as brake-testing, excessive weaving, and practice starts. Parc ferme, literally meaning "closed park" in French, is a secure area at a motor racing circuit wherein the cars are driven back to the pits post-race. For example, according to the FIA Formula One regulations, the area must be sufficiently large and secure so as to prevent unauthorised access to the cars, while allowing technical checks to take place. Cars must be placed in parc ferme within three and a half hours from the end of qualifying until five hours before the start of the race formation lap. Essentially, cars in this area must not be touched by anyone without express permission of the FIA stewards. However, cars are put under "parc ferme conditions" from the time the cars exit the pits till the start of the race formation lap. Under these conditions, only minor adjustments such as tyre changes, refuelling, bleeding of brakes and minor front wings adjustments are allowed. As such, teams cannot make major set-up changes between qualifying and race day. Violation of such rules usually means that the car has to start from the pit lane. The only exception is due to a change in climatic conditions, where the Race Director will give teams permission to make appropriate changes to their cars, or in the case of serious accidents compromising the integrity of the car.[1] In duathlon (run-bike-run) and triathlon (swim-bike-run) competition the parc ferme is a secure area where bikes are stored during the race. According to regulations the bikes can only be accessed by the athletes themselves, as any kind of outside help is prohibited in this sport.