Charles Leclerc said he will no longer be taking part in one aspect of the Formula 1 race weekend after a rule change.
Tweaks to the structure of a race weekend have become commonplace in recent times. New things are always being trialled out – some more important than others, such as major changes like the sprint race or how media day works, while others are relatively minor.
The latest tweak appears to be minor on paper, but has significant impact on the drivers' weekend plans. It has now been decided that, when they go on their usual track walk on a Thursday, they can no longer use bikes or scooters to speed up the process.
Such methods of transportation have been banned, with drivers now forced to walk the full length of the circuit. This will be particularly time-consuming at the longer tracks – Spa-Francorchamps, home of the Belgian Grand Prix, is the longest on the calendar at 7km in total.
The change has been made by Formula One Management (FOM), rather than the FIA, as F1 bosses are the ones who are responsible for what happens between sessions on a race weekend.
The move has not gone down well with Ferrari star Leclerc. Responding to the announcement, he made it clear he will likely no longer be taking part in the track walks as a result of the change.
He said: "I did a walk around, and I think they've just issued a new thing where we cannot go around the track with bicycles anymore. So you probably won't see me around the track anymore [on a Thursday] and I'll probably just watch the videos!"
A statement from FOM said: "To clarify and to avoid future misunderstanding, the use of any means of transport (bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, etc) is forbidden during the time window stated as 'Team Track Walks' on the Event Timetable. No exceptions will be allowed. This decision has been agreed with the FIA."
