Sergey Sirotkin, Romain Grosjean, Singapore, 2018

New DRS zone added for Singapore Grand Prix

2019 Singapore Grand Prix

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A new DRS zone has been added to the Marina Bay circuit to increase overtaking opportunities during this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The additional zone, which runs from turns 13 to 14, brings the total number of DRS zones on the track up to three. Drivers will pass through a detection point as they approach turn 13 and will be able to activate DRS 78 metres after the exit of the corner.

The other two DRS zones on the five-kilometre circuit are unchanged from last year, situated at the exits of corners five and 23.

Several other circuits have had DRS zones removed or shortened this year. Silverstone and Hockenheim both removed their third DRS zones. The larger rear wings on this year’s cars has made DRS more powerful.

However the tight Singapore circuit has previously been one of the most difficult for overtaking. According to Mercedes, just 19 passes occurred during last year’s race, five of which involved DRS. This was a fall from 46 (two with DRS) in 2018.

FIA race director Michael Masi has conducted a review of how DRS contributed to the racing last year and revised the zones at several circuits for 2019.

Singapore track map

Singapore Marina Bay circuit
Singapore Marina Bay circuit

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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16 comments on “New DRS zone added for Singapore Grand Prix”

  1. Honestly this sounds quite reasonable. The start/finish DRS is only used to bring you closer when you reach turn 5 anyway, so in effect this acts as the second real DRS zone. It looks too short to enable a pass, but it’s worth a try.

    1. DRS isn’t there to make a driver pass. It is to get you closer ONLY. Or that is what it was originally intended to do

      1. Would be great to re-read the original mandate for DRS, as i’m pretty sure that was the idea, too.

        1. That’s true. The biggest issue generally is that because the following car is in the dirty air of the leading car, they can’t come off the corner as strongly as the leading car, meaning they will be down on speed as the straight begins. DRS should be tuned to remedy that speed disadvantage. But that’s obviously easier said than done.

          1. Paging @coldfly to pitch your alt-DRS idea. I forgot the term you coined for it… Downforce Replacement System?

          2. @phylyp, I’m back.
            Downforce Recovery System (still in the process of patenting it).

            And I’m off again ;)

  2. Precisely what I hoped for to happen. Bahrain got a third activation zone for this season despite not necessarily being one of the most-needing venues for an additional zone, so, therefore, it’s the right move to give Singapore the third zone as well, and hopefully, also Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit would get an extra zone added on the S/F straight in addition to the existing zones on the two longest straights of the circuit.

    1. @jerejj I agree, I like this as well. I actually really enjoyed the plethora of activation zones at Bahrain because it allowed the driver who had just been passed an immediate opportunity to strike back, and we got some good battles because of it.

  3. Szonyi is a Hungarian name. Some have PhDs, and are called Dr Szonyi. I have slightly more interest in that, than in where they put DRS zonyis on the tracks.

  4. I really don’t mind DRS on circuits where overtaking is ridiculously hard (short straights, 90 degree turns), as it essentially brings a following car closer to the car infront, without providing a ‘slam dunk’ overtake. What I really dislike are needless zones where overtaking is already possible. The thrill is in the ‘will he or won’t he?’, not the guaranteed overtake.

    1. Exactly this. Monza usually shouldnt need DRS (although it actually helped keep the 15kph advantaged Ferrari’s from disappearing this year) and the same goes for Baku’s monster start finish straight.

      1. Agreed. You can easily leave Spa, too. Having it on the Kemmel is an absolute travesty, although I wouldn’t be at all opposed to them using it on the s/f straight to open up a small chance of a pass in to T1.

      2. @RB13 But DRS is relatively ineffective in Monza anyway due to its low-drag nature.
        @ecwdanselby 95-99% of the time an overtaking move isn’t guaranteed even with DRS, though.

  5. The run from T13 to T14 always seemed like a place to have a DRS zone, weird that they waited this long to have one. It might actually help overtaking, as I remember there being some cases where the car behind got frustratingly close but not close enough to try anything on the brakes.

    1. @kaiie Yes, weird indeed that only now. I assumed it’d be added for last season’s race already given that several other circuits before it had received additional activation zone including Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

    2. The inside line will be famous from now on, it will be the place to be

Comments are closed.