Technical Moveable rear wings (DRS)

[snowy]

From the post race press conference, the guy asking the question is clearly delusional in my opinion.

Q: (Livio Orricchio - O Estado do Sao Paulo) To all of you: one of the stars of this
race was the movable wing. Does it really help to overtake?


SV: Well, I think the massive advantage that you all have is that you actually saw the race. We
didn’t. As far as I know, I had the opportunity to use it a couple of times, as I said, getting close to
Jenson, sometimes when I was close to a lapped car, for instance. I cannot really answer your
question because I don’t know what happened behind me.

LH: I only used it once and it didn’t really make too much difference because I wasn’t close enough
to the car in front, so I can’t really comment too much on it.

VP: I used it a few times. I was lapping some cars and Alonso was behind and it helped me pull
away from him a little bit. So as soon as I saw my blue light come on, I used it, so I think I used it
two or three times.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Q: (Livio Orricchio - O Estado do Sao Paulo) To all of you: one of the stars of this
race was the movable wing. Does it really help to overtake?

LH: I only used it once and it didn’t really make too much difference because I wasn’t close enough
to the car in front, so I can’t really comment too much on it.

Thanks snowy, I was wondering if Lewis ever activated the Drag Reduction System.

 

[johnnoble1990]

I suppose a reason for allowing use in practice and qualifying is to allow the drivers to familiarise themselves with the system, and develop a feel for when they can activate the wing safely; and how it affects the car balance.

Of course, you could still do that by allowing usage in practice, but restricting it in qualifying. Who knows?

I think the use of DRS in quali makes sense because it makes the cars go faster. This sport is all about speed, so if the cars have a device that will help them achieve a higher top speed then why not allow them to use it.

Thanks snowy, I was wondering if Lewis ever activated the Drag Reduction System.

I'm hoping Lewis proves to be the person who masters this device. If the idea is for it to give the driver an opportunity to overtake, then the most opportunist driver of them all will be able to make it work.

 

[johnnoble1990]

http://www.thef1times.com/news/display/02906

They are extending the DRS zone for Malaysia. I was hoping they wouldn't do this. They said it had a non-existent effect in Australia but when drivers got a good run out of the last corner i thought it was almost undefendable. Considering the zone next week will be straight after the back straight we might find cars just cruising past. Fair play though to them for experimenting and 100m won't make too much difference, but if the DRS doesn't work in Malaysia then i can't see it working for many others. China will probably be the easiest.

 

[Tarod]

I thought it was 850m in Australia ?

 

[johnnoble1990]

I thought it was 850m in Australia ?

It was but only so that they could open it as soon as they got on the straight. The first 200m or so of the zone was the final corner.

 

[teabagyokel]

Couldn't the teams set up something track side or via the cars GPS (AAARRRGGGHHH another TLA) to fire the wing automatically?

Pit-to-car telemetry was banned after one year in 2002 after a Noah's Ark season.

 

[FB]

Pit-to-car telemetry was banned after one year in 2002 after a Noah's Ark season.

I thought all rules in F1 were negotiable (?)

 

[MCLS]

It has been confirmed that the DRS distance will be extended from 600m to 700m in Malaysia

 

[Enja]

It has been confirmed that the DRS distance will be extended from 600m to 700m in Malaysia

Not sure I like that, but we will see.

If they put it on the 2nd last corner, the quick one, we will see a similar situation to Australia IMO. Drivers struggling in turbulence to really make use of it. That decision was criticised, but from where I'm standing, it provided a pretty good balance, because it still meant you had to be better out of the corner than the guy in front. I think if it was on the exit of a slower corner we'd see more overtaking, and I think more of it would be "gimmes".

If they put it down the pit straight with the 100m increase we could see a lot of overtaking since it is pretty easy to set up an overtake at the last turn into the 1st corner on the next lap.

In a way it'd be better at Malaysia if they put a 450m zone down the back straight to the last corner and a 250m zone from the last corner onto the pit straight. That way, you'd have to be better out of the 2nd last corner which is a tricky one especially in turbulence. Then, with a 450m boost you'd have a shot at an overtake into the last corner. If you don't make it, the 250m zone could keep you close for turn 1 on the next lap.