Formula 1, which has been in our lives since 1950 and which has been keeping the audiences up and down with different Grand Prix races, is one of the most exciting automobile races in the world. If you are someone who follows this race with passion, we are sure that you have a good grasp of all technical terms, but if you started watching a race this year to see what is going on, it is possible to encounter some concepts that you will look at the screen by wondering ‘What does DRS mean’.
DRS is a technology that makes overtaking, one of our favorite moments in auto racing, easy and fun. The driver, who abides by certain rules and fulfills certain conditions, can fly in real terms when he activates the DRS technology in his vehicle, and can get ahead of his opponent. What is DRS, when did it come to the race, what are the rules, let’s see in all details.
Let’s first define this fun technology, what is DRS?
Drag Reduction System, shortly DRS, in Turkish, Drag Reduction System; It is a technology that opens a moving part at the back of Formula 1 vehicles, reducing the friction force of the vehicle and thus enabling it to accelerate much more. Formula 1 Racing Director Michael Masi has described DRS technology as ‘a fun button’.
Well, what exactly is DRS, what does it do and how does it change the fate of the race?
If you have ever watched a Formula 1 race, you must have seen that the vehicles are quite light and their speeds are very high. The basic physics rules are clear, these vehicles are designed to be very, very strong, especially in order to prevent them from rolling around corners. The road holding that provides safety in bends will reduce the speed of the vehicle on a straight road. Good, but if you say that this vehicle will accelerate and overtake the opponent and play for the first place, the answer is DRS technology.
As we will understand better when we talk about the rules, DRS technology is actually not a technology that should be used or used. There are many different methods that the driver of the vehicle uses to speed up and pass his opponent. For example, by using the air channel opened by his opponent, he can reduce friction and turn his disadvantage into an advantage by accelerating.
In a situation where all conditions are suitable, the driver presses a button on the steering wheel and activates the DRS technology. When this system is active, the moving part behind the vehicle comes to a parallel position with the vehicle and can accelerate the vehicle 10 or even 20 kilometers per hour. Even this small acceleration can allow the car to overtake its opponent and play for the first place.
So what are the DRS rules, can the driver open this system whenever he wants?
Of course no. The rules in Formula 1 races can be restricted by considering different variables such as racetrack, weather, unlike sports events we know. For example, if it is raining during the race, or if it has just rained and the track is still wet, the use of DRS is strictly prohibited for the safety of the drivers.
As you can see examples in the image above, there are certain DRS zones where drivers can use this system. When the vehicle driver enters flat areas only, DRS can turn on if allowed. For other uses, the driver will be penalized.
Another condition of using DRS is that the difference between the driver of the vehicle that will use this technology and the opponent in front of him is less than 1 second. In other words, a driver can only use DRS technology when he has caught or caught the opponent in front of him. At which points and for how long the track will be used is also one of the rules determined before the race.
What does DRS on mean, does the driver who turns on DRS necessarily take the lead?
That’s the beauty of racing, we’ll never know. The driver, who is less than 1 second closer to the vehicle in front of him, will accelerate when he activates the DRS technology, yes, but his opponent in front of him does not collect pears. There are countless tactics used to prevent the opponent behind from getting ahead even if he accelerates.
DRS is just one of the transition attack methods used by Formula 1 drivers. That’s what the audience wants anyway. There is no problem in the defensive and attacking movements of the drivers being aggressive, and making them without contact is applauded. However, the referees are quite strict on this issue. Drivers who make attacks that endanger themselves or their opponent will be penalized.
When did DRS come, which is actually against an F1 rule?
Since Formula 1 is an automobile race that has been held since 1950, many rules have been added and many rules have been removed over the years. For example, it is against the rules for vehicles that will participate in a Formula 1 race to carry moving parts. However, this rule has been broken for DRS technology, which was first introduced in 2011. This is the only exception.
DRS is not just a technology used in Formula 1 racing. After it was announced that it would be used in F1 races, it started to be used in Formula Renault 3.5 in 2012, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2013, Super Formula in 2014, FIA Formula 2 in 2015 and FIA Formula 3 in 2017. So DRS is a technology used to make auto racing much more fun.
What happens when DRS is used, what effect does it have on the race?
Let us be silent, let the statistics speak; The number of passes in the 2009 Formula 1 race is 211. The number of passes in the 2010 Formula 1 race is 452. The number of passes in the 2011 Formula 1 race, where the use of DRS began, is exactly 821. The number of passes in the 2012 Formula 1 race is 870. Today, the average number of passes in Formula 1 races is between 600 and 1000.
Let’s face it, the most fun part of Formula 1 racing is the overtaking. Passing in the pit area means that the driver is in a good position and is not very excited. Transitions made with tactics are few and still not very exciting. The use of DRS technology, on the other hand, increases the number of these passes and offers a much more enjoyable race to the spectators.
We tried to get to know this technology more closely by answering questions such as what is DRS, the technology that reduces friction in Formula 1 races and prevents the opponent, when it came to the race, and what are the rules. You can share your thoughts about the technologies used in auto racing in the comments.
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