As of the last race weekend in Canada, Formula 1 drivers are now allowed to use DRS even if yellow flags are waving.
Previously if a yellow flag was being waved in one activation zone, DRS was disabled ‘globally’ across all zones. The FIA felt this was preventing drivers from using DRS when they should be able to, at points on the circuit where yellow flags were not being waved.
“There have been a few occasions when DRS [was] globally disabled because of an incident in one activation zone, and it could legitimately be used in the other, or the others,” an FIA spokesperson told RaceFans.Some tracks now have as many as three zones and more zones could be added next year. This has increased the complexity of enabling and disabling DRS zones on a case-by-case basis.
“With two or three activation zones, trying to develop software to cope with what would be a multitude of variables… we felt that we should simply put the onus on drivers to slow down in yellow sectors, which the rules require them to do so anyway,” said the spokesperson.
While drivers may now use DRS under yellow flag conditions, they will still be required to slow down as much as before in response to the warning.
“The fact that DRS is still active is not really relevant and if a driver had DRS on whilst he was in a yellow zone he could simply lift and it would go off, if it didn’t then he hasn’t lifted already,” the spokesperson pointed out.
“There are a number of sectors on every track where a yellow could be displayed outside of a DRS activation zone, here the drivers are of course required to slow down. So we feel [it] should be very easy for them to do the same if a yellow is shown in a DRS zone, irrespective of whether DRS is activated on the car.”
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Captain Pie (@captainpie)
13th June 2018, 9:49
I like this, it puts the onus on the drivers to comply rather than forcing the matter.
Sush meerkat
13th June 2018, 11:37
But can some of the drivers be trusted to stick to the ‘spirit of the rules’?
Although I’m sure there will be a robust system in place to penalise drivers that ‘bend’ the rules, much like the chequered flag waving system.
ColdFly (@)
13th June 2018, 12:36
I typically agree as well, but it did not work that well in the past (spinning out under yellow, or behind the safety car).
To make the ‘onus on the driver’ work well FIA needs to put the onus on themselves and define clearly what is expected and then enforce it consistently.
bosyber (@bosyber)
14th June 2018, 13:51
@Sush_meerkat, @coldfly but the FIA knows when DRS is active just as much as they have the data to know throttle and speed of the car, so the quote
indeed points to the equivalence with current yellow flag rules: it is now (since end of 2016) very clear that if you do not slow clearly back off (with new rule: or keep using DRS), you probably can expect a penalty.
bosyber (@bosyber)
14th June 2018, 13:51
*slow, or clearly back off
Sush meerkat
13th June 2018, 11:40
I like this statement, speaking about DRS and yellow flags having a global de-activation makes me imagine some poor guy being late for work because he had to slow down to 30mph on the A40 since Grosjean crashed at turn 7 in Singapore.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
13th June 2018, 12:09
LOL :-)
Chapor (@chapor)
13th June 2018, 14:14
Damn Ericsson…
mog
14th June 2018, 0:14
It IS so frustrating when you are in the zone on the A40 and then Drs gets remotely disabled on your Vauxhall. :)
bosyber (@bosyber)
14th June 2018, 13:54
Does that mean speed gets increased to 30mph? I thought going 30mph there was actually good pace, but, living in Berlin, I might get the local situation wrong ;)
ADUB SMALLBLOCK (@waptraveler)
13th June 2018, 16:26
I have no problem with this, but FIA will need to be vigilant about enforcement, as any infraction not punished will just lead to more, leading to another tragic incident.
Jere (@jerejj)
13th June 2018, 16:34
”he could simply lift and it would go off, if it didn’t then he hasn’t lifted already”
– The DRS doesn’t get deactivated by lifting off the throttle, though. The only way to get it ‘automatically’ deactivated is to apply the brakes by pressing the brake pedal. The only other way to deactivate it is by pressing the activation button on the steering wheel manually.
SparkyAMG (@)
13th June 2018, 19:58
Whilst I always thought that was the case, I’ve heard at least one driver this season make a reference to lifting and automatic DRS deactivation. I can’t remember who it was or at what race, but I definitely remember it catching my attention.
bosyber (@bosyber)
14th June 2018, 13:58
@jerejj, @spartkyamg; It makes some sense that if you lift, that also disables DRS; though i wonder about interaction with lift-and-coast, where I think maybe you would want the smaller drag initially; But if you do lift and coast, at many corners it might mean you won’t have to apply brakes, so otherwise you’d need a separate ‘disable DRS’ switch.
NS Biker (@rekibsn)
14th June 2018, 20:16
If there are tracks with 3 DRS zones and more tracks and more zones likely, why not just let the drivers have DRS anywhere and everywhere they like.? Then if you get within 1 or, more realistically, 2 seconds of the car in front, for a preset time or distance even, then have at it.
In a yellow flag zone, there is already a requirement to lift and passing is not allowed. Why clutter everything up with added unnecessary rules, interpretation and complexity.
But then they might be tempted to get rid of the DRS altogether. Seems I recall “movable aero” was not allowed.