The FIA is to restrict the use of DRS anywhere on the circuit except in the allocated zones during practice and qualifying on grand prix weekends next year. Since the system was introduced at the start of the 2011 season, drivers have been free to use the DRS as they want during practice and qualifying with the activation zone applying only in the race. But FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting recently informed the teams that he is no longer happy with this for safety reasons amid concerns about drivers risking deploying the DRS early at the exit of corners. "We are going to prohibit the use of the DRS during practice and qualifying except in the places where it's going to be used in the race," said Whiting. "It's something that we told the teams about the other day, that we are doing it for safety reasons. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104254?source=mostpopular The DRS technical battle will now turn from one of overall performance to once for outright top speed.
Still wont stop the passive DRS next year though. All they have done is single out the rich teams to exploit an EBD effect that will clear the midfield teams easily.
Great news. Unlimited DRS in qualifying adds nothing positive to the spectacle and only increases the gap between teams - the cars with more downforce can open DRS earlier, giving them an even bigger advantage over their slower rivals. Also if Gary Anderson's recent theory about the F2012 is to be believed, this will greatly help Ferrari next year as their car will be an evolution.
There are two ways of looking at this. I should first say that I applaud the idea of bringing practice sessions into line with what is allowed during the racing. However, I feel it is a shame that they have not focussed on removing the 'gimmick' tag from DRS by making it more widely available to drivers in general. At the moment it is still 'unreal' inasmuch as it does not fully allow a driver to control the car as and when he/she feels appropriate. And controlling what is or is not available to a driver is in principle, impure. Surely DRS has already proven its value? Surely very few would say that it has not been beneficial to the spectacle in at least some respect? For this reason its continued, artificial, 'partial availability' – according to one's location on the track – restricts DRS (unnecessarily in my view) to remaining very much a gimmick. Use it properly and fully (i.e. for the whole circuit instead of designated zones), or get rid of it as useless. And it is definitely not 'useless'…
They just can't get this right or more like not even trying to. They might be better off just not allowing it at all in qualifying. Seems daft using it in the DRS zone only since it's an overtaking aid.
RBR will evolve the next car around the passive DRS system and still be the fastest team on the grid that I'm sure of. Ferrari fans think it favours them but actually it favours RBR, rather than making a rather "simple copy" to get the same effect of a DDRS like Mercedes which was more expensive than difficult to copy. Now only the top teams with the most money and best engineers will be able to exploit the PDRS/Super DRS that is starting to reveal itself in testing and practice, and which team has money and top tier engineers in spades? RBR... Instead of this (just) being a qualifying advantage this year, the FIA have opened pandora's box only to push RBR to make their version of the Passive DRD far better than anything else on the grid, that could! give them an advantage everywhere! unless the other teams can keep up. Since RBR would very likely be able to get more downforce than most teams, they will be able to go more aggressive on their Passive DRD system all over the track unlike Ferrari for example who seem to struggle with aero at the moment. (They couldn't even make their DDRS work, how in hell will they make the more advanced passive DRD version work?) If anything this will make the situation worse in my opinion for teams other than RBR and McLaren! This passive system looks hard to incorporate as shown by Lotus who still cant seem to make it work properly after months of testing. The Pirelli war has just turned into a Passive DRD war instead and that's something (aero) RBR look to be very good at as history shows.
The FIA should simply say that the rear wing assembly cannot contain any apertures on or through any of the planes, aerofoils etc to which air can be redirected (or whatever wording is required) i.e. DDRS/DRD etc then effectively banned.
They should just ban DRS entirely to avoid all this ****. In the attempt to get more overtaking they have just given a team like RBR another chance to outclass everybody else with a complex device that nobody can actually copy quickly enough (EBD mark 2). These are the cards majority of F1 fans want stopping, yet the FIA keep dealing the best hand to RBR and trying to fool themselves and us that it was a bad hand....it isn't!
The only good thing about DRS was its unlimited use in qualifying allowing the teams to try different strategies. They've now removed that aspect and left us with the hideous, race-ruining gimmick in its most artificial form. Well done FIA.
Can't agree with this at all. RedBull are succeeding despite the FIA's attempt to reel them in, compared to recent Ferrari dominance that was to some (or more depending on your opinion) extent- FIA aided. In my eyes makes their achievements all the more impressive. Depending on whether you view F1 as a constructor led or driver led sport, you might not like the outcome of the best performing team dominating, especially if your appreciation of the sport is driver-centric and your favoured driver isn't part of that team. I'm constructor centric - I like to see the best team win. Having said that, should RedBull and Vettel take both crowns I'll still be glad they had to fight much harder for this one than last years.
When the Turbo engines come in, DRS should be scrapped altogether and the drivers given a limited quantity of turbo boost to last a race. Coupled with the KERS, it could actually make for better racing than the DRS, which is a bit too simulated IMO.
Its a complete waste of time if it's going to be so restricted. In my opinion, they should still be allowed to use it freely in practice and qualifying, but in the race they are allowed to use it anyway so long as they are within one second. The main problem with DRS is that it is restricted to much so that it's producing very artificial overtaking, and preventing us from seeing drivers lower down the field prove their worth. Yes it is frustrating when we can't see our favourite top team driver battling for wins because they are stuck behind a midfield car, but the current race restrictions on DRS means its almost punishing midfield drivers for going for a top 5 finish because they get shuffled down the field through use of DRS. Either that or they get rid of it all together and just have KERS. I prefer KERS because it can be used tactically, whereas DRS is just a button to be pressed only when your told you can
