DRS won’t cancel out passes, say drivers

2011 Brazilian Grand Prix

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Lucas di Grassi, Jarno Trulli, Interlagos, 2010

Drivers played down concerns the DRS zone at the Interlagos circuit could act to reverse overtaking moves during the race.

The pit straight is often a scene of overtaking moves at the track, and the DRS zone is placed on the straight after it.

Drivers will be able to activate DRS before the exit of Curva do Sol (turn three) and use it all the way along the straight to the next corner, Subida do Lago.

It could create a situation where a driver who has just been passed on the pit straight can use the DRS zone to reverse the move. A similar phenomenon was observed with the double DRS zones in the last race in Abu Dhabi.

Michael Schumacher doubted it would happen, saying: “I think that if you are able to pass on the main straight, you would actually definitely be the quicker car, because you do it without DRS and then the chicane itself should be enough to clear yourself so that the guy behind shouldn’t have sufficient power, even with DRS, to then re-pass you.

“So you probably only pass at equal speed on the back straight, because of the DRS, but it shouldn’t be similar to what we saw in Abu Dhabi.”

Jenson Button and Bruno Senna agreed with Schumacher but Felipe Massa was less sure, saying: “If you have overtaken the car on the main straight, which is the better place for overtaking, without using DRS, it is possible you can be overtaking again at the next one, because in the next one you’re going to have the DRS. I think it can be the same situation.

“For sure, maybe it could be the same as what happened in the last race.”

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    27 comments on “DRS won’t cancel out passes, say drivers”

    1. the main problem is: who’s gonna say, okay, I’ll overtake him here so he has a go 3 corners later ?

      The back straight it’s quite a long one. If the DRS proves effective there, then there’s no point overtaking on the main straight: the drivers will just wait for the DRS zone.

      Pity, because overtaking round turn 1 is tricky enough and it actually happens in the race. If they choose to use the DRS zone only, then it’ll be as dull as watching the cars storm by mid-straight at Spa.

      1. It’s tough though, you have to remember where can they replace it? The main straight gives overtaking, so you don’t what to cancel that out. So the back straight is the only option.

        Remember though; a car cannot overtake around the outside there, so maybe stick it on the inside?

        1. @ell I believe @fer-no65 actually is saying don’t put DRS on Interlagos.

          1. Well do that then, in a different argument, I hate DRS, so get rid of the whole thing.

      2. Interlagos, just like Spa, doesn’t need DRS.

    2. I was wondering something, drivers deploying DRS around the final section, could they spin?

      1. which do you mean? Mergulho? I think Mergulho would be quite easily flat with DRS for the top teams.

        1. Yeah, the tight uphill bit after the end of sector 2 (after the last ‘real’ corner), as I do it frequently on F1 2011.

          1. Ah I know the one you mean. There’s a 90 left (Juncao); and then there’s a very deliberate left turn – it’s not quite a corner, but more than a kink. That the one you mean? I think they should be able to DRS there.

            The top teams would be able to. The lower teams might ironically also be able to because they have less traction off Juncao – so they have less speed when they reach that kink/corner anyways.

            1. Yeah, actually, they might well do taking into account what you said.

              It is a shame they can take it flat, as it would turn into a battle of wits, who is the bravest to carry enough speed through there. I remember Vettel’s pole lap in Turkey; he deployed the DRS just after the 3rd apex of turn 8.

            2. @Ell – 4th apex really. Despite what some *cough* Peter Windsor *cough* say; Turkey has 4 apexes, not 3.

              That won’t, I don’t think. But Curva do Sol and Turn 2 I think could be DRS’d by some ballsy drivers – that would be interesting.

            3. No, the 3rd apex for Peter Windsor, and takes the last apex DRS open. He has a slight moment too.

            4. I know which you’re talking about – I probably know that pole lap by heart. He takes 3 apexes DRS down; and then he activates the DRS before the 4th and final apex.

            5. My reference to Peter Windsor is that he refuses to call the first apex of Turn 8 (which drivers run wide in – they don’t touch the first apex, as touching it would compromise their run on the 2nd apex) an apex. He just calls Turn 8 a 3-apex corner.

            6. Well that’s quite stupid; it is still an apex, whether you hit it or not. Yeah, i think a Red Bull will be on pole, due to this about high speed DRS corners.

          2. Yep – the DRS hotspots for quali would be Curva do Sol I think. Turn 5, Mergulho, should be flat with DRS.

            1. Yeah, it seems like we’re building up for a big qualifying session!!

    3. For sure, maybe

      Nice contradiction there Felipe!

      1. LOL! Yeah, I agree. He does say “for sure” an awful lot though.

        1. For sure he does!

    4. If that’s always true then DRS effectively does nothing anyway.

      Stupid DRS.

    5. petebaldwin (@)
      24th November 2011, 22:10

      Simple solution to this, DRS detection zone should be the start/finish line. Therefore, if you pull a great pass into turn one, you won’t just be DRSed on the 2nd straight.

      All that will happen is cars will close right up to the back of someone in turn one and set the DRS pass up.

    6. I agree with Schumacher that this time we won’t see artificial racing.

    7. Felipe Baby thinks it will because he will be slow out of the corner and get passed, or hoping it works so he can overtake someone. Sorry Felipe bashing over :), love you really

    8. I can actually hear Massa speaking by reading his quote.

    9. Gonna agree with Schumacher, Button and Senna on this one. I think he has a point that the chasing driver on the DRS straight will have already lost too much around the opening corners. Plus, the lead driver will have an almost full tank of KERS available with which to try and defend. Of course, that could be negated by the chasing drivers KERS…

      Who knows!

    Comments are closed.