DRS

[KekeTheKing]

After Turkey, the overriding concern about the Drag Reduction System was that it made overtaking "too easy" and that the racing was "artificial". Judging from the other GP, I think it's safe to say that Istanbul was a one-off, where the combination of tire wear, circuit design, and detection/activation zone placement brewed up a perfect storm in which the DRS was indeed too effective.

Looking at the season as a whole though, I'm left with the overwhelming feeling that the introduction of the Drag Reduction System has been a fantastic success. Obviously the overtaking figures are through the roof, but that only tells part of the story.

Nowadays, drivers do not have the excuse that, "I just couldn't get close enough", or "the aero package didn't allow me to challenge." If you are legitimately quicker than the guy you are following, you will earn the opportunity to draw closer in the DRS-Zone, with the option of performing an outbraking maneuver, or to set up a move into the next series of corners.

Are there moves that look too easy, yes, but I don't see this as a real threat to the well-being of Formula One or the kind racing it has produced over the years. More often than not, an "easy" pass will be largely due to varying degrees of tire degradation.

I recognize the fact that some "purists" will never accept the DRS as benefit to motor racing, and that's fine, but at this point I believe we can have a bit of a re-think of the conventional wisdom following the early rounds. After 11 GP, and some cracking battles at the front, how does CTA feel about the Drag Reduction System?

 

[Brogan]

First option for me I'm afraid.

It gives an advantage to the guy chasing, as the guy in front can't then activate his DRS once he has been passed.

What was wrong with good old fashioned slipstreaming?

 

[MCLS]

Last option for me, it was an obvious faliure at Australia where it didn't do anything and an obvious faliure at Turkey when it did too much, at somewhere like Spain or Silverstone it was alright as it got someone close but didn't do the work for them.

 

[Galahad]

With my romantic/purist's head on, I would sooner have the cars all running in optimum specification throughout the race. I've no objection to 'boost' buttons, providing they have some cost attached to them in terms of fuel consumption or reliability, or that everybody can use them, but something that systematically benefits one class of driver over another offends my racing sensibilities.

Putting my realist's head on, though, the way the cars have developed over the past 20 years in terms of aero dependency had left them unable to pass each other except under very extreme circumstances. This was a cause of a much greater irritation.

DRS certainly has contributed* to eradicating the passing problem, and many of the predicted ills of the system (pairs of drivers passing/repassing; drivers waiting behind until the last lap) have not materialised. There have been issues with implementation where the zone has been too long (in Istanbul, perhaps in China) as well. But such things are easily fixed if the will is there, and I believe it is.

There is, however, a but. The system was only intended to be a short-term solution, with a new, overtaking-friendly aero profile for the cars to be introduced from 2013/14. Now it is clear that will not happen, and DRS will remain for the foreseeable future. That I do regret, and I think it short-sighted of the lesser-funded teams to veto change on the grounds of cost, when actually a radical change would give them their best opportunity to jump to the front. Furthermore, with the reintroduction of turbocharging and a greatly more powerful KERS, I had high hopes that passing would increase under the new regs even if the aero changes were modest.

So in short (!) I've voted for option 3. It works, but I'm a little uncomfortable with it.

*a lot of the contribution, probably more than 50% overall, has come from Pirelli, not DRS, of course. Whether that will hold for the longer-term may be subject to question, though.

 

[Speshal]

I'm with Keke on this one, I think it's been a success, it's not the much feared festivals of cars just DRS-ing round each other (well not much) but it has given the following driver a chance later in the lap.

Some of the best passes we've seen this season have been outside of the DRS zone (yeeees I know the Pirellis have played a part)

 

[Tacitus]

IT IS AN ABOMINATION ( can that be an option?)
ruined the canada race for me ( take a guess why)
personally I think the tires are playing a greater part, and with having kerbs, i can't help but feel that the DRS passes we see would have been possible from good old fashion slipsteaming+kerbs+pirelli's. The other two factors play a larger part in my opinion. I can't help but feel that the only reason that DRS was introduced was to prevent a repeat of alonso stuck behind petrov for the championship.

 

[Sarinaide]

It is stupid when in accordance with the rules governing it. first off, why only in these "detection zones" and secondly, why can't all cars use it at all times if needs be?
{edit}

In 2010 there were to little passes and now in 2011 along with KERS there is to much overtaking, for me it symbolises the problems in F1 modern times, the cars are so evenly matched that without DRS,KERS, EBD's etc there is no such thing as condusive racing. In the old days there was more freedom of design, engineers and techs that could get more output from the car won and because no car was similar you got more thrashy racing.

So we have a choice bore follow him around racing or Overtaking is to easy racing. Personally they must take the whole lot away and go back to veriable spec racing.

 

[Josh]

It's not perfect, but I like it (it's so much more exciting now) and I'm sure they will sort out the problems next year.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

It is stupid when in accordance with the rules governing it. first off, why only in these "detection zones" and secondly, why can't all cars use it at all times if needs be?

Simple. Because if all drivers could use it at all times there would be no point at all in having it.

 

[Galahad]

Ross Brawn calls for the views of fans to be taken into account in an end-of-season review of the DRS:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95296

 

[Bill Boddy]

Ross Brawn calls for the views of fans to be taken into account....

No, it will never catch on. The view of BE is always far more important.

Sorry, but I still would like them to have a good look at why overtaking without false aids has become more and more difficult. If they rectified the problem then DRS would go flying out of the window.

 

[Vortex]

I hate it, its fake. I’ve yet to enjoy a single overtake aided by DRS. Not only that but it stops the smaller teams hanging onto a good position they may find themselves in. The first one that comes to mind, as Ross Brawn is referring to, is Schumacher in Canada, he was on for a podium, possibly second position but they just drove past him down the DRS zoned straight, crap! Id rather watch him hanging on for dear life against a faster car, if they got past on merit, so be it.

 

[Josephiah]

For me, a bit of a mixture, but on the whole cautiously in favour. While some passes obviously seem far too easy, it's difficult to separate it from the effect of the tyres. When they get the zones right, it can be excellent - I'm thinking of the times when it enables the chasing driver to close up, and perhaps make a move later in the lap. I like the fact that it's one more variable, and contributes to different cars having different strengths at different parts of the lap. And I like the fact that it's added a serious extra factor in the "do I set up for quali or the race" dilemma.

All of that said, like Bill I'd rather that they go back to look at the overtaking/aero problem in more depth.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Recently you'd have to say that the DRS has been set pretty conservatively. Other than Istanbul, Spa and possibly Silverstone the zones havn't been so big that the car behind car easily breeze past on the first attempt.

Currently I am in favour, but only as long as it puts the cars alongside and doesn't complete the pass for them. I just don't want to go back to 2008 where you have the opening lap and then the pit stops, yipee.

The good thing about this system is that it actually allows the faster car a chance to overtake now, for example just look at Catalunya, sure Hamilton didn't pass Vettel but it got him reasonably close and gave him a chance at least albeit a small one. With the DRS he couldn't have threatened Vettel in any way.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Ross Brawn calls for the views of fans to be taken into account in an end-of-season review of the DRS

It was the fans opinion that more or less ushered in the DRS. It would be quite an about face if their opinion's are what takes it down.

I agree with those that say it could be tweaked here or there, but I can't imagine they would drop the system completely. Especially with lower formula's like the Renault World Series and GP2 adopting this technology for next year.

 

[Josh]

It's the first season it's being used so obviously it still needs tweaking to make it perfect, but personally I think it's a good idea and it has made the races more exciting. It's good for the sport.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

It was the fans opinion that more or less ushered in the DRS.

Not mine, it wasn't.

...but I can't imagine they would drop the system completely. Especially with lower formula's formulae like the Renault World Series and GP2 adopting this technology for next year.

I agree; I would like to see it dumped, but like you I know it won't be.

So just in case 'they' are reading this, here's my opinion. I would like to see an end to the DRS zones and the 'one second behind' rule in favour of each driver being able to use the DRS wherever and whenever they choose, subject to a time limit to its use per lap, similar to KERS. I'm not sure technically how that would be achieved, but I'm quite sure it could. That might help to reduce the impression of falseness and put more control back into the hands of the drivers.

 

[Road of Bones]

I think the unlimited DRS in qualifying this year has helped Red Bull lock out Pole Position with their superior baseline aero, and ability to deploy DRS earlier in corners when unlimited. A large part of Vettel's strategy this season has been to immediately establish a >1s gap from the front to avoid DRS attack, and then manage it for the remainder of the race. The main reason he ran wide on the last lap at Canada was because he was pushing hard trying to prevent JB getting into the DRS activation window behind him. Interestingly, DRS has been less of an aid to RBR when they have occasionally found themselves in need of it (Vettel vs Alonso at Suzuka, Webber on Schumi at Canada).

It's swings & roundabouts really - you race with the tools at your disposal, and adjust your race strategy accordingly.

(For the record - I preferred the F-duct, and the ability to use it at will during quali & the race.)

 

[sportsman]

First option for me I'm afraid.

It gives an advantage to the guy chasing, as the guy in front can't then activate his DRS once he has been passed.

What was wrong with good old fashioned slipstreaming?

I agree Exactly my feelings

 

[ExtremeNinja]

I think the reason we have it is directly of a result of McLaren's genius F-Duct. My favourite innovation for years, due to the sheer audacity of it.