The Drag Reduction System (DRS) is one of the most talked about components in Formula One racing, and with good reason.
In its most simplified terms, it’s a system that’s controlled by the driver, which aids in overtaking when the driver is within one second of the car in front of them. There are really only two rules in using DRS. The first of which is that the pursuing car has to be within one second proximity from the car in front, and drivers can only use DRS in designated zones that are noted with signage on the track. The secondary rules for DRS are that it can’t be activated under rolling restarts following safety cars, or for the first two laps of the race. And if conditions such as rain make the track unsafe, the FIA can disable DRS as a safety measure. While this is rare, just remember that when rules are in place in motor racing, they’re reactions to previous incidents.
If you’re new to F1, it would be a good idea to look up Nico Rosberg’s YouTube. There, he takes viewers on turn-by-turn drives in a race stimulator and talks you through turns, chicanes, DRS zones, tyre and pit strategies, etc. For every race, he tells you where the DRS zones are, but in actual races, overtaking in DRS zones isn’t guaranteed. For example, if you’re trying to work through the field and you’re in the DRS zone, you can’t actually use it if the gaps between cars aren’t within that one-second calculation. This is another detail that drivers have to pay attention to, all while driving top speeds through straights and anticipating a braking zone. This is another reason why track memorization is critical for a successful drive.
Introduced in 2011, DRS has provided drivers with a machinated speed enhancement, but not without controversy and criticism. This is because DRS makes drivers rely on artificial boosts rather than relying entirely on skill and the technology of the car itself. While it does provide drivers with a boost in performance, they still need a fast enough car to keep pace, be skilled enough to make the overtaking maneuver, and then handle the braking zones to come. Furthermore, every team has access to it, and isn’t technology that’s used by just one team, such as Mercedes’ controversial DAS system back in the 2020 season. The FIA banned DAS (Dual Axis System) in the 2021 season because it gave Mercedes an advantage in warming up the tires by changing their alignment.
To activate DRS, drivers press a button on their steering wheel controls which opens a flap on the rear wing. When the flap is opened, there is less surface area on the rear wing, which reduces drag and increases the linear or straight-line speed.
While DRS is generally viewed as the “overtake button,” there are some details that new fans need to know. In the 2022 season, the actual design of the cars changed to enhance aerodynamics with the focus on reducing dirty air. Dirty air is the hot and turbulent air that comes off the car in front. Because that dirty air increases turbulence–which has a negative effect on the downforce of the car behind it–it puts the trailing car at a performance disadvantage and reduces their chance for overtaking.
On the other side of dirty air is clean air, which allows cars to cool more efficiently and pushes the car down on the track, also is known as downforce. Aerodynamics is the study of force that moves objects through air. So when you think of an airplane and the aerodynamics of flight, the plane is supposed to go up through a series of factors such as the design of the aircraft, load, gravity, etc. A race car is no different, except instead of aerodynamics attempting to lift the object into the air, the aerodynamics are designed to push the car down to the ground.
While much of the calculations and analysis are done in the garage and pitwall, when the car being pursued is within a one-second gap, they’re notified on their team radio, and when drivers have the ‘OK’ to activate DRS, a signal will light up on their steering wheel. Moreover, at circuits that have reduced levels of downforce, such as Monza in Italy, that contributes to the effectiveness of DRS as the activation zones are shorter.
So yes, DRS is a performance advantage, but the conditions have to be right.
