Formula 1
Vettel against F1 overtaking relying exclusively on DRS
Sebastian Vettel thinks Formula 1 will head down the wrong path if overtaking becomes solely reliant on DRS.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: May 6, 2022, 10:09 AM
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While F1's new 2022 cars have proved easier to follow each other in battle, the reduced slipstream effect has put a greater emphasis on the benefits gained by DRS.
The length of some DRS zones, like in Saudi Arabia, has also led to a situation where overtakes are virtually guaranteed for the car behind, which makes it a no-brainer to pass that way without risk.
Vettel, who watched the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix from home after contracting COVID-19, thinks F1 needs to tread carefully when it comes to the reliance on DRS.
From its original introduction having been pushed as a way of giving drivers at least of chance of pulling off an overtake, Vettel is wary that F1 is now in a situation where it has become the only way for passes to happen.
Reflecting on the change to racing with the 2022 cars, Vettel said: "I think you can follow closer. But there is less drag effect as well and we do rely on the DRS probably more than in the past, to some extent.
"The interesting bit would be to take the DRS off and see how the racing really is, and if you are able to overtake a lot better than, let's say, in the past.
"I'm only a bit cautious for the DRS, because it was brought in as an assistance to help overtaking, but now it feels a bit like it's the only thing that allows you to overtake at times."
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Vettel believes that F1's chiefs should ultimately target cars that do not need the DRS boost for overtakes to happen.
"Ideally, we have set of regulation that allows us to follow and race without DRS," added Vettel. "DRS hasn't been there for 70 years. It was brought in 10 years ago to help, as an experiment.
"I think an overtake should always be an effort and not dictated by you being in the zone and you get the DRS.
"The race in Jeddah, where you had the leaders braking for the DRS line to try and be the second one to cross that line, that's a different type of racing. I don't think we should go that way.
"But we're still early in the project. Definitely you can follow closer. Overtaking is still hard, but it should be an effort and it should be a reward when you manage to overtake."
While F1's new cars have been created to help improve the racing, the sport's bosses were clear that they wanted to keep DRS initially to better understand how the new cars behaved in battle.
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F1 managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn was long clear, however, that the long-term aim was to get rid of it.
"I'd like to think we could reach a stage where DRS doesn't become so critical," he said during the initial launch of the new regs.
"But it is a very easy thing to have or not have if we find the cars are able to battle with each other.
"Overtaking is the culmination of course, but having a great battle is critical, and where you have cars where they cannot follow each other consistently because the tyres degrade and because of the loss of performance, then you don't have such great battles.
"You can have a great battle where the guy who is leading still leads at the end, but you've had a great battle.
"We have made an effort to make sure we distinguish the difference between overtaking and racing."
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