Many Formula 1 fans continue to be bothered by the overtaking aid DRS – However, the drivers believe that the races would be “very boring” without DRS
“If there was no DRS, I would have only finished second today,” said race winner Max Verstappen immediately after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Dutchman had fought a thrilling duel with Charles Leclerc over several laps.
While the duel thrilled many Formula One fans, others were bothered by the role played by the drag reduction system. Among other things, in one situation both drivers braked on purpose to have DRS on the following straight.
Both drivers agree, however, that the exciting duel would probably not have taken place in this form without the overtaking aid. “If I hadn’t had DRS today, I would never have got past,” Verstappen is certain.
Race without DRS “very boring “
“I think we still need DRS at the moment,” Leclerc also says and emphasises: “Otherwise, the races would be very boring.” At the season opener in Bahrain, Verstappen and Leclerc had already duelled several times with the help of DRS.
It is true that the Formula 1 rules this year are already a “very positive step” because the following in the new cars is much better than in the past. “But I don’t think it’s enough to get rid of DRS yet,” Leclerc clarifies.
By the way, the World Championship leader doesn’t have a problem with it anyway. “It’s part of the strategy for every driver in terms of defending and overtaking. It’s part of racing at the moment,” said the Monegasque, relaxed in the face of curious scenes like the one in Jeddah.
Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz is also convinced that without DRS there would be “significantly” fewer overtaking manoeuvres. “Without DRS it’s almost impossible to overtake today,” explains the Spaniard, who does, however, offer some mild criticism.
DRS effect currently “a bit too big “
At the moment it is “a bit too easy” to overtake another car because the DRS effect with the new cars is “a bit too big”. Sainz reports: “Sometimes the overtaking manoeuvre is already completed before the braking point”.
“It would be much better if the two cars were fighting each other under braking,” he explains, adding, “We might have to look at that. But we definitely still need DRS.” That’s not going to change anytime soon, he adds.
While the balance of the cars behind another car is “much more predictable” this year than with the old cars, which were much more aerodynamically vulnerable. As a result, he said, you can stay much closer to another driver in the corners.
“But without those three or four tenths that DRS gives you on the straights, it would be impossible to overtake,” Sainz is sure. So the overtaking aid will probably not disappear from Formula 1 that quickly.
