In my opinion, the DRS system was a complete joke in Turkey.

While I like the system in the first couple of races, in Turkey it was just way to easy to pull a pass off. With a few exceptions, generally it was that if you were close enough to activate it, you passed the car in front (taken he wasn't allowed to activate it as well).

This race for me made it very clear that in the current format the choice of the activation zone (location and length) is very important to get right. While this clearly is difficult to get exactly right at every GP, I would like to see some limitations to the use of the system.

The most simple one is of course to set a limited number of activations per race.

However, an other option that I find interesting is the following:
Drivers are free in the number of times they activate the system, but if the use it and fail to pass the car in front, they aren't allowed to use it in the next 5 (or so) laps.
So drivers have to think about the use of applying the system, and it will only be used when a pass is (should be) basically inevitable.
Also, this way the system can't used anymore to get closer to the guy in front every lap and then eventually pass him (same pace, but due to DRS getting closer: 1s -> 0.8s -> 0.6s -> pass), which happens sometimes.

Drawback is that is more difficult to follow, and therefore will never be implemented as the regular audience will get confused..... (but who here cares )

What do you guys think?

Agree with most of what you say, with the exception of the limitation of activations per race.

DRS is still a work in progress so they were bound to get it wrong occasionally.

I still like it, even if it was too efficient this time.

DRS is a joke and needs to be scrapped. It destroyed todays race with drivers simply driving around other's.

Of course, the obvious solution was the proposed return to limited ground effect crs in 2013 as part of the revised aerodynamic package.

But guess what. It's been scapped. And DRS is now a permanent fixture.

I just can't understand the reasoning. Instead of fixing the problem, you invent a 2nd problem.

Today was a joke, the driver in front has no way to defend and its pathetic really...I hope DRS is no longer in F1 next year.

Well it is. Confirmed today with the 2013 aero regulations being dumped.

The DRS was a complete joke today. It took away any of the drama in the battle for second between Webber and Alonso. Webber had no way to defend against Alonso earlier in the race and then Alonso had no way to defend against Webber later in the race, both passes were completely inevitable and it took some of the excitement out of that battle.

I also thought Massa lost out particularly badly when he was passing Rosberg, he actually pulled a nice legitimate move just before the DRS zone only to have Rosberg drive straight past again!

seems to swing from ineffective to too effective :/

Seems to depend a lot on whether the poster's favourite driver was the victim.

I've said it before and I'll say it again; it's just unsporting.

How DC can continually defend the system is beyond me.

Lauda made a show of him in Malaysia talking about it with DC not having a clue about the turbo boost button of old.

I'll never be happy with DRS while only the attacker is allowed to use it.

I'd prefer that either they are all allowed to use it a certain number of times per lap or for a certain amount of time. At least then the drivers can make a strategy choice with it.

We needed a smaller zone today, there was virtually no resistance to a pass under DRS whatsoever. If used correctly the DRS is ok as it allows a driver to get close, but still has to actually pass. In China it still took some skill to pass, having managed to close the gap with the wing.

I have to say though, there was plenty of fights on other parts of the circuit today, I find myself wondering why it's even necessary.

Remember this was the first race where the DRS was into a headwind. That will have increased the effect dramatically.

Thought i dont think its great to be honest. the zone should be slashed bu a half. There should still be something to give back the disadvantage of dirty air though.

I don't like DRS in principle and I don't like it in practice.
After races like today and in China, I am convinced it is unnecessary.

The racing this year has been very good, that is due to marginal tyres, not DRS.

Another solution could be to have the DRS zone at the first part of a straight, instead of at the last part. The DRS system is less effective at lower speeds, so the driver behind will get slightly closer to the car in front (having better acceleration) but won't just blast past him as he won't benefit from a higher top speed than normal. This might result in actual fights at the corner, having two cars arrive side by side.

Today you saw cars using KERS + slipstream and get closer at 15km/h, and then open the DRS and immediately blast past with around 30km/h speed difference.

Using the word "artificial" is a bit tricky, because everything on the car is artificaly designed to make it go faster, however DRS is artificial in the sense that FIA determines when one car is allowed to have a mechanical advantage over the other.

And because of this mechanical advantage one gets from the FIA on a part of the circuit, the one in front becomes a sitting duck because he is only allowed to defend his position with just 1 move or get a penalty.

Today it was painfully obvious how artificial this is. If they cannot judge the point of DRS activation properly, cars just breeze by the other. That is not overtaking anymore, that is passing like one would do on public roads.

Webber seems to think this too, when he talked about DRS and the tyres. You would assume he would be positive about his great drive in China, yet he said it was not enjoyable because he was passing people like Alonso like they were not even racing him, like they were backmarkers.

Because the powers that be have decided that more overtaking has to be a good thing because overtaking is exciting; no matter how artificial it may be. DC is now on the side of 'the management' and it is in his interests to pander to the unwashed masses who need to be told each and ever race that 'this is the most exciting race ever' so that they come back again the following weekend.

Forget the fact that most of the overtakes this season have not shown any art, any craft, or any guile; F1 is determined to play to modern TV audiences that require an adrenaline fix every few seconds; I'm sure it is good for viewing figures, but it still leaves me cold.

If they can both use it, it cancels itself out. The way the system is setup now the leading car has the trailing car is disadvantaged in the corner (turbulence) but has an advantage on the straigh(DRS). Properly setup it should balance nicely.

Maybe today was 'too much' but it was the same for everyone. If someone went by you too easily, you had just as much opportunity to do it to them the next lap.

What I like is it eliminates some of the value of track position. You can't run a strategy that will only put you ahead and then you can just sit there holding the other guy up.

Why didn't the FIA just enlist a couple of cars after a practice session to tweak the zone to perfection? common sense is lacking this year

Exactly.

More overtaking isn't what F1 needs or needed.

What it needed was closer racing. Mansell couldn't get past Senna at Monaco in 1992. There was no overtake but it was epic viewing. Yet, todays overtakes were just boring.

In Turkey F1 was steered by technology. I remember following one of Lewis overtake on Rosberg. It's was a master class in how easy it can be to overtake if you know when to press the right button. In the corners leading to the DRS detection zone Lewis KERS:ed until the battery was drained bringing him closer to Rosberg while enjoying the slipstream to then deploy DRS slingshotting him past a helpless opponent.

From a racing POV, DRS + KERS + Slipstream makes it dead easy to overtake in Turkey. Not to mention the performance difference between used and new tires. DRS will get a public slamming the day we have a race with SC deployed in the closing stages of a race ruining life for drivers on a tire strategy with one less stop than others. They will be overtaken like it's nobody's business. This is why Vettel pitted even though he could have finished on a three stopper today. He didn't want to be vulnerable in the case of a SC bunching the grid together. However, we're heading to Spain subsequently Monaco now, circuits where limited overtaking opportunities will render DRS useless.

It's a shame that DRS is used by the FIA to compensate for poorly designed circuits by the likes of Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

You liked it in Malaysia? Are you sure- because that was far worse than Turkey with drivers cruising by half-way down the main straight. I do agree with you though, in Turkey they got it wrong and it was too easy to pass.

It would be better to get rid of it- it's a nonsense gimmick as it leaves the driver being attacked as a complete sitting duck if the FIA overdo the length of the 'zone'. At least with KERS v KERS drivers have an option of when and where to use it, and it is therfore a touch more tactical. DRS is a bit like taking a penalty kick at an open goal.

THere will be passing everywhere at Barcelona. The tyres will ensure this.

DRS will ensure motorway overtaking at the end of the main straight.

I am indifferent to DRS. If it was so easy to pass people - how come no ones used it on Vettel? There you go! The onus is on the driver in front to keep the gap and defend like crazy.

I still hold the opinion that the DRS should be usable at all times during the race by all drivers. However, it is what it is, and there's no use complaining about how it worked today as the race is over and done.

I think the DRS made passing too easy in today's race, and I think part of the reason for this is that they chose to place the overtaking zone on a corner where it was already possible to pass. If they want to make the DRS a little less effective and more contributive to overtaking, then I think it would be best if they moved the overtaking zones to corners on which it is more difficult to pass and leave the already "good" corners alone so moves on them won't be tainted by the DRS.

They just got the length and/or position of the zone wrong this time and it made it too easy. It's bound to happen at some other circuits this year too, since all they can do at the moment is make an educated guess. At least give them one attempt to tweak the damn thing, if it's still too easy next year, then you'll have something to moan about

We can moan as much as we want. DRS is fake racing. Very, very fake racing.

Undoubtedly it was too easy to overtake today, but the DRS concept was always going to be a bit hit or miss given the variety of tracks. Hopefully they can learn from today. Also, I'm finding it refreshing that the phrase 'dirty air' has not being mentioned very often this year.

DRS is overkill in terms of what it is supposed to achieve. It is rather inane to think fans would be satisfied in the long run watching a car with a major rocket booster pass an all but defenseless car in front (even if one is momentarily diggin' it when their driver of choice gets by - eheh). Built into the desire to see more passing was the desire to see passing battles for position. That is not to say there is no battle (Massa/Rosberg around lap 20 did include a bit of a battle in Turkey, and in past GPs we've seen drivers fail to pass) - but in general so far, when there is success, there is little more too it than a sling shot scenario, and that isn't nearly as exciting as watching drivers duke it out for position.

The way i look at it, it negates the disadvantage a driver has behind another and aero loss in the corners. It does need to be toned down though definitely!

So are pit stops.

The hunted on one lap is the hunter on the next. It's fine.

Issues with tyre wear are tactical decision take by teams.

DRS is a mechanical regulation the teams can used which was specifically added to the regulations in order to increase overtaking.

In theory, possibly; but in practice, no.

The driver behind must be faster at that point in the race to get within the activation zone to begin with. Once passed, he is still faster and able to pull away from the car he has just overtaken. Almost without exception, a driver has not been re-passed using DRS in the same phase of the GP.

But it doesn't do the same thing at all.

Instead of going around in circles by using DRS, how about just fixing the bloody cars so they can follow more closely ?

Thats because the overtaking car was faster. Everyone who was getting a DRS overtake was getting that opportunity by being faster.

I think DRS didn't determine the final positions, and still we had overtaking manouvres almost at any lap. Then, thumbs up from point of view.

You have a right to moan, but that's not to say your moan is right.



In your opinion. Other people see other things in F1 as fake, that particular list is a darn long one.

Like Brandz07, I've got no objection as long as it just neutralises the effects of the dirty air and the driver in front is still able to make a clever defence. I don't like it when it's actually a disadvantage to be the guy in front. I never used to like those old CART races on the big banked ovals where the guy behind could draft right past, then his victim would draft right past him and the process would just repeat continually. But then others would rave about those races. It's just a matter of what you'd personally like to see.

I do think, if we're going to have DRS, why not allow it from the start? That's the only chance anyone'll have to take the fight to Vettel--by lap 3, he's off into the distance.

If they are already faster, why should they then get to press a button that makes them faster still?

True. That kind of surprised me actually today.

However, the passing was too easy today. If you were (a tiny bit) faster and therefore get close enough to activate the DRS, you would just breeze pass. No racing at all. Bar a few exceptions of course

In Turkey it has always been possible to pass at this straight. Maybe they should have just placed the DRS zone on the start finish straight? Or the one after turn 8?

To overcome the turbulent advantage that leading car has.

That was due to the handford device, which was an attachment to the rear wing of CART cars on ovals to ensure that the cars were slowed down enough on ovals as they were going too fast as was.

The handford device increased the drag of the rear wings for all cars. It had the effect that the slipstream was more effective than usual. However, drag and slipstreaming is an inherent feature of all car racing.

A rear wing which you can open when 1 second behind another driver is not and is like something out of Mario Kart.


Instead of DRS, the aerodynamics should be fixed. CART, showed the way. Downforce generated from venturi tunnels doesn't fall off in turbulence near as much as downforce generated by a front wing. Yet, the 2013 aero regulations now won't have a return to venturi's as the now former Williams employee, Sam Michael thinks it's too technically challenging. This is a tech which was prominent in the 1970's and today features in numerous series. Yet F1 outfits can't make it work ?

Wouldn't the simplest solution be to reduce the effectiveness of it by dumping less drag. In their current guise cars pick up about 15-20kph what if you reduce that speed to maybe 10 kmh. That way they would have a speed advantage but you wouldnt see them pass with such ease. They would simply be able to get into a side by side situation and the actual overtake would still be done under braking by the guy with the biggest cahones

If you want the following car to overcome the turbulence disadvatage, you fix the aero.

You get rid of the disadvantage.

You don't compensate the disadvantage by giving the other car a different advantage.

If we ban DRS we have to find a solution for the dirty air because there will be no overtakes. Incresing KERS can be a solution, but it will work?

Why not fix the bloody aero.

I've yet to see a series properly fix that. CART sure didn't.

CART had hell of a lot more closer racing than F1. You could visabley see the cars following closer.

Multiple passes were seen at all events on all tracks. Could you see F1 cars passing each other at Laguna Seca without the Pirellis and DRS ?


The amount of passes in CART was startling considering the number of street tracks they ran.

MotoGP can barely pass at Laguna Seca. On most circuits that weren't Cleveland or the Handford Superspeedways, CART was dull.

DRS is the only aero tweak I've ever seen that negated the turbulent effect of the leading car. And it's one of the few F1 rule changes that worked as designed.

Well said......this thing called DRS, has taken out all of the drama and excitement of a well planned, and executed pass.