What is DRS and why does the device raise criticism?
One of the most commonly used words in F1 racing (or acronyms in this case) is DRS, but what exactly does this mean?
The term stands for drag reduction system, a controversial mechanism controlled by the driver. With the press of a button in specific zones, the rear wing can open on F1 cars. DRS facilitates closer racing and helps with overtaking as the rear wing’s flap opens up, increasing speed while reducing drag. Drivers can use DRS when they’re within a second of the car in front of them, which can sometimes create what is known as a “DRS train.” This occurs when multiple cars bunch closer together during races as their drivers activate the system.
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Its effectiveness varies based on the circuit with some tracks, like Monaco, being notorious for being difficult to complete overtakes. Changes to DRS zones have been made to several tracks on the 2023 calendar: Bahrain, Jeddah, Melbourne, Baku and Miami.
The driver-controlled device was first introduced in 2011, and it has continued to garner criticism, even from the drivers. While it’s used to create wheel-to-wheel racing, some have pointed out that DRS may reduce the skill needed to achieve a difficult overtake.
What are the DRS rules?
F1 fans often hear the pitwall informing drivers about the distance between their car and a rival, which is crucial for DRS. The cars need to be within less than a second of each other; however, they also need to be at a specific portion of the track to use the device.
Most circuits have two DRS zones, but Bahrain is an example of one that has three. There are detection and activation points to indicate where the zones are, and there are signs labeled “DRS.”
There are other restrictions with DRS, as well, such as how it can’t be used during the first two laps of the race or after restarts following a red flag period or safety cars. Additionally, the race director can decide to not allow drivers to use the device if track conditions are deemed unsafe.
To simplify the explanation, let’s use two cars to break it down. The car behind is the one that can use DRS, not the car in front. There is a button the drivers push to activate DRS, but it’s not a guarantee the overtake will successfully happen. It comes down to whether they can pull off the maneuver.
It was decided during an F1 Commission meeting in Abu Dhabi last year that a DRS trial will happen at the six sprint races this season. DRS activation will start after one lap of racing following a start or a safety car restart, but other limitations will remain in place. The sprint races are as follows: Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Austrian Grand Prix, Belgian Grand Prix, Qatar Grand Prix, United States Grand Prix and the São Paulo Grand Prix.
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What do the drivers think?
Juan Pablo Montoya famously once described DRS as “giving Picasso Photoshop.” He added in an interview with The Racer’s Edge that it was helpful for the spectacle side of the sport, but the ex-F1 driver (who left F1 in 2006) and two-time Indy 500 winner felt “overtaking is an art.”
However, it does create exciting battles, like the one that unfolded between Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. The two exchanged leads multiple times over consecutive laps, and Leclerc discussed the role DRS had.
“I was trying to be as clever as possible using the DRS as much as possible, so I was trying to break early into Turn 1 just to be behind him at the DRS detection, and twice it worked out,” Leclerc said last year. He later explained how he braked early in Turn 1 to capitalize on the DRS range in Turn 4, which “worked out three times in a row.”
Regulation changes ahead of the 2022 season allow cars to follow more closely as well.
(Photo: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Associated Press)
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