DRS the new Marmite thread.

[dannyjo22]

Ok race in race out we have the same DRS arguments, how about a detached thread so we can scream abuse at these push to pass monkeys or scream in excitement at the entertainment.

Maybe also a poll mods on whether you think it's too artificial or adds entertainment?

Personally I flip flop, I'm not sure either way. Part of me thinks with the tyres we wouldn't have needed it this year, plus when they get it wrong it's hilariously easy.

Abother part of me thinks they have just given the tow that used to exist when cars weren't so badly affected by the air. Also a slower car is not getting past a faster car and staying there. I also have enjoyed the excitement at times this year which should be the bottom line but I think that's down to who was winning. Had it been Vettel using DRS to win from the back I feel more people would be moaning about DRS had he beaten Button or Hamilton.

So how about we use this thread to discuss the various merits of DRS, a stage too far or just what F1 needed with the short attention span everyone seems to have these days

 

[Berger]

It does give the tow that the cars have had in the past. However it doesn't give the opportunity to "come back" at the car infront, as once it has passed you then you're screwed unless you can follow them until the DRS point on the next lap.

I felt sorry for MSC as he was fending off Webber so well, but eventually he got passed and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Only because Webber buggered up his braking did it take him so many attempts.

It didn't help Massa much, it took him the whole race to get past Kobayashi!




I'm not really a fan of it, I prefer the KERS more as the driver can choose when to use it and the defending driver if they have KERS can use it to help them defend, makes it more tactical.

 

[Mr Men]

MSC probably used his DRS to get into 2nd, so no need to feel sorry for him, Webber and Button would have passed him DRS or not.

 

[PiKe]

They should clean up air flow over the cars so DRS isn't needed, like like the late 90's/early 00's

 

[Berger]

MSC probably used his DRS to get into 2nd, so no need to feel sorry for him, Webber and Button would have passed him DRS or not.

Webber had no chance without it, the Red Bull was so slow out of the corners!

Button was flying and would have got passed them both regardless.

 

[Raymond Lin]

What the hell is DRS? I heard it mention a lot this year, never before.

 

[PiKe]

What the hell is DRS? I heard it mention a lot this year, never before.

They can press a button which opens the rear wing for greater straight line speed (about 15km/h) for 13 seconds of WOT or until the driver releases the throttle to brake.

They have to be within 1 second of the driver in front and have to have passed the activation line.

The celestial movement also has to be correct and the planets aligned.

 

[Mr Men]

Webber had no chance without it, the Red Bull was so slow out of the corners!

Button was flying and would have got passed them both regardless.

he would have got passed somewhere else, instead he knew it was easier to use the DRS, as you said it never helped Massa, and I agree about the KERS, they should give the KERS more power output and get rid of DRS.

 

[Dr Who]

DRS = Drag Reduction System

It reduces drag on a chasing car when it is on a certain section of the track to aid overtaking.

It will be activated whether you are fighting for position or lapping.

Effectively it opens up a flap on the rear wing reducing downforce and drag allowing a little better acceleration and top speed.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

From another poster:-

If the driver being overtaken is good enough, being skinned by a DRS car is no problem as they should stay within 1 second and DRS them back. If they can't do this, they deserved to be overtaken in the first place.

Exactly my thoughts - DRS is a good thing and stops faster cars/drivers being held up behind slower car just because it's difficult to pass. DRS still requires skill to make a successful pass as you're approaching the corner much quicker and have to brake a little earlier - see Webber going straight on throught the chicance at the Canada GP for an example of this.

 

[Dr Who]

From another poster:-



Exactly my thoughts - DRS is a good thing and stops faster cars/drivers being held up behind slower car just because it's difficult to pass. DRS still requires skill to make a successful pass as you're approaching the corner much quicker and have to brake a little earlier - see Webber going straight on throught the chicance at the Canada GP for an example of this.

Exactly what I have been saying in the Canadian GP thread.

 

[Skeeter]

I think DRS is a bit to infant to form a fixed opinion on it. The fact its had such mixed results shows that there is definrately some middle ground to be found. Its not like it working to well or not at all at every race. At some places its pointless (Monaco, Spain), others its to easy (Canada, Turkey) and in others it seemed pretty much spot on (China). This means that with some work they should be able to get most places spot on. I am however against double DRS zones. Especially when the first one is an easy overtake.

All this aside, while I don't really like the principle of DRS, I understand why its there. After all, F1 cars are designed to go as fast as possible in clean air, and then we line them all up with the fastest at the front and slowest at the back. With this setup, why should we expect there to be any overtaking at all? With the fuel load days there was the potential for people to have different relevant speed to others around them on a Sunday compared to their qualifying place on Saturday, but now with fixed full fuel, the guy infront of any given driver on the grid should always be faster, and the guy behind should always be slower. With this setup, the only way to get some speed differentials is to impose them artificially.

All in all, I think DRS is good for F1, but it needs a lot of work. If you are good enough to get within 1 second of the guy infront, you should be rewarded with a little extra speed to allow you to get into an overtaking position. It shouldn't gift you the overtake, but it should just make it possible. With tweaking of the DRS zones, this can become possible on most tracks.

There should only be 1 per detection point though. Having 2 is ok, providing they have 2 separate detection points.

Oh, and I also would like to question the "any car infront" rule. The leader of a race should not be rewarded with DRS for catching and lapping a backmarker. DRS should only apply to people genuinely 1 second apart, not just anyone infront of you.

 

[arknor]

From another poster:-



Exactly my thoughts - DRS is a good thing and stops faster cars/drivers being held up behind slower car just because it's difficult to pass. DRS still requires skill to make a successful pass as you're approaching the corner much quicker and have to brake a little earlier - see Webber going straight on throught the chicance at the Canada GP for an example of this.

may aswell not bother with a race then its not racing if the faster car should just be allowed to pass make them earn the position FFS it sucks seeing people get overtaken so easily by drivers who are known to be crap at overtaking gone arr the days whren you will see cars battling for position.

gone are the days when a driver on worn tyres can fend of a faster car through the skill of the driver, they may aswell just go full on rally time trial style instead of fake races

 

[Dr Who]

may aswell not bother with a race then its not racing if the faster car should just be allowed to pass make them earn the position FFS it sucks seeing people get overtaken so easily by drivers who are known to be crap at overtaking gone arr the days whren you will see cars battling for position.

gone are the days when a driver on worn tyres can fend of a faster car through the skill of the driver, they may aswell just go full on rally time trial style instead of fake races

Yeah all the drivers in F1 are poor overtakers and DRS makes them look godlike, that is how they got through years of racing in other classes.

Clueless comment is clueless.

How do these poor drivers scrub off the extra speed at the corner without running wide and allowing the other car back past? Maybe they just push a stop buton and don't use any skills?

 

[utajoker]

if they keep drs they need to adjust the activation lines so cars arnt already past before the braking point. shorten them to put them side by side at most.

next year hopefully they will realise that on some tracks it was ridiculously easy to overtake using it.

right now i dont like it but if they do the above it could provide he oppertunity needed to try and outbrake someone.

this is not how overtaking should be, how can you defend that, schui moves inside but webber drives straight past as if he isnt there.

 

[arknor]

at canada they were already past , back on the racing line and getting ready for the breaking zone... same can be said for a few other races this year to.

they may aswell have had 2 straights side by side in canada and you can choose which you want to go down...

 

[Skeeter]

at canada they were already past , back on the racing line and getting ready for the breaking zone... same can be said for a few other races this year to.

they may aswell have had 2 straights side by side in canada and you can choose which you want to go down...

And the FIA have admitted some DRS zones need looking at. Its the first year. They have no idea how it will work untill race day. Expect the DRS zones to change next year.

 

[Duke]

DRS is a cheap and simple way of allowing the cars to follow each other closely and put the chaser into a position to fight for the position. The new tyres have helped as well in mixing things up. You can mess with the aero and mechanical rules all you like, but this seems to work. It does need some tweaking, so hopefully next time they visit the track, it will work more evenly at each track.

I think at the end of the day, if the driver being overtaken is quick enough, he can take the place back again like the Mclaren drivers were doing a few races ago. If the overtaker pulls away then it is better for racing, as he was clearly quicker in the first place.

 

[PinkFloyd]

they may aswell have had 2 straights side by side in canada and you can choose which you want to go down...

Bernie Ecclestone has suggested that before hand.... (albeit not specifically for Canada)

Personally I think its great when it brings the cars side by side, it made Australia China and even to an extent Spain very exciting. However it was far too effective in Turkey and Canada, the twin zone was just a joke too.

Personally I think the tyres and ban in double diffusers have made the racing far more exciting. As someone said in the other thread (acidhell I think) the cars are following at half a second now; rather than 1.5-2 seconds whilst moaning on the radio they have no grip.

If the FIA had a set of balls they would nerf aero some more, bring back ground effect and the cars could then drive nose to tail far more easily. Have this and a bit more flexibility in KERS (ie being able to change the boost level it gives relatively to the time. ie 160KW for 2 seconds or 80KW for 4.... etc - or even better allow them to use as much KERS as they can recover whenever they like...)
The above would make DRS unneeded and no-one could argue that it was artificial.

 

[Skeeter]

If the FIA had a set of balls they would nerf aero some more, bring back ground effect and the cars could then drive nose to tail far more easily. Have this and a bit more flexibility in KERS (ie being able to change the boost level it gives relatively to the time. ie 160KW for 2 seconds or 80KW for 4.... etc - or even better allow them to use as much KERS as they can recover whenever they like...)
The above would make DRS unneeded and no-one could argue that it was artificial.

The FIA did have some balls. Thats pretty much what they proposed for the 2013 regulations. Unfortunately the teams all complained on 'cost grounds' (translation, they are scared of someone doing a Brawn) and some of the rules have been diluted (ground effects).