2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - Jeddah, March 25 - 27

[fenix4life]

Regarding DRS, I thought Gary Anderson (I know, I know) had a good idea, he suggested allowing the use of DRS only when a driver is between 1-2 seconds behind, so he can use it to draw closer, but once he's under a second behind he's on his own to find a way past. What do you guys think?

What about the following.
Activating it at the beginning of the straight and at half way closing it again. Thus allowing for slipstream and eventually Wheel to wheel but then it’s up to both to make it happen. So less of a sitting duck at the end of the straight.

[Mogster]

Regarding DRS, I thought Gary Anderson (I know, I know) had a good idea, he suggested allowing the use of DRS only when a driver is between 1-2 seconds behind, so he can use it to draw closer, but once he's under a second behind he's on his own to find a way past. What do you guys think?

What about the following.
Activating it at the beginning of the straight and at half way closing it again. Thus allowing for slipstream and eventually Wheel to wheel but then it’s up to both to make it happen. So less of a sitting duck at the end of the straight.

At the moment it requires brake application to automatically close DRS.

[jz11]

Reason why I say this is unfair is because remember before a SC restart the guy in second is normally waaay behind and the opportunity to close up is already a benefit. In a red flag restart too, the cars are spaced 8 meters. So it's unfair, it's dangerous and it's against the spirit of the rules to close up the way Max does to the point of being side by side. They should ban the practice and re-write the rules as soon as possible or else the whole field will be doing this.

ok, unfair I can sort of kind maybe agree, but dangerous? explain what exactly is dangerous when going side by side instead of being behind from your perspective please

this next will be kind of an extreme example, but still - do you remember Vettel following Hamilton and being behind him, (was it Baku?), then comes the corner exit, Vettel behind, anticipating Hamilton to start accelerating, Lewis doesn't, Vettel runs into the back of him
same situation - but Vettel is to the side of Lewis - Lewis doesn't accelerate, Vettel overshoots, gets in front, gets a penalty, but no collision - which one is more dangerous, side by side or one behind the other?

because the driver behind trying to catch the right moment when the lead is going to pull the trigger is inevitable in all possible cases - that is just pure racing, VSC even has this same element that Max exploited in this race, he somehow made up ~3sec deficit in one minisector, at least I suspect he did, I heard commentators saying Charles had somehow gained a lot of time on Max (~4sec gap), and then, as the VSC went away, Max was again at the 1,5sec distance, which meant that Max went significantly quicker right before the VSC ended if we assume that Charles was maintaining even pace all throughout - if that was the case, then the whole VSC purpose is out the window, I haven't heard anything about it yet, so I guess no rules were broken, but I think that was quite a questionable strategy there, the outcome was Max having a bit more heat in the tires than Charles and was able to close the remaining distance to get into the DRS window

and if you advocate for the "unfair" part, then SC periods have been an inherent part of race strategies, some underfuel expecting a SC period to save fuel and/or tires, some (like Lewis in this race) waited to see if there would be another SC period to allow him to change tires and lose less time than normal - you take all this away and you make racing much more of a procession, this is a technical sport, and you expect the unexpected and have a strategy to deal with it, sometimes it may favor you, sometimes the opposite, it has been IMO inherent part of the sport, and calling to get rid of it is just plain wrong in my opinion

[fritticaldi]

The new staff at Race Control arent any better than Michael Masi with the late call on Carlos Sainz/Sergio Perez. Race Contol arent able to make a decision on the spot. They make a collective decision ?

[bonjon1979]

Regarding DRS, I thought Gary Anderson (I know, I know) had a good idea, he suggested allowing the use of DRS only when a driver is between 1-2 seconds behind, so he can use it to draw closer, but once he's under a second behind he's on his own to find a way past. What do you guys think?

I would rather see it having a limited number of applications per race.

LOVE the idea of it being limited. A tool in the arsenal. Once it’s used up, it’s used up. Adds strategy and jeopardy instead of just lap after lap after lap, and I feel would help with (if not completely resolve) the gamesmanship at the DRS line which I think is heading towards being unsafe.

Interesting idea, I also wonder if you should be allowed it when you catch up with back markers. They get out your way anyway, and it just provides a bit of an out for the person being caught up. Ten DRS's a race would be fine with me. I also agree that it's a little silly having two zones one after the other and it's spoiling the racing a little. Get that it might appeal to the video game racing generation but personally not for me. More of a purist really.

[etusch]

The double DRS zones may need to be reduced to 1 zone only. It looks silly slowing down to give up a place to take it back. It's not really racing. It's more like playing tag or musical chairs. It looks smart for 1 or 2 races for Leclerc and others, but I don't think it should continue.
I genuinely like the closer racing now though. Cars can battle for laps and laps until one is fast enough to break away, but the 2 drs is maybe a bit too much.

Or overtaker must be able to use other drs zones too. For example car a overtook car b at second drs zone of 3. So car a gain right to use drs next 2 zone.

No, this is rubbish. Then you only have these DRS fly-by overtakes where the overtaking car just vanishes because of the second DRS.

The double DRS zones may need to be reduced to 1 zone only. It looks silly slowing down to give up a place to take it back. It's not really racing. It's more like playing tag or musical chairs. It looks smart for 1 or 2 races for Leclerc and others, but I don't think it should continue.
I genuinely like the closer racing now though. Cars can battle for laps and laps until one is fast enough to break away, but the 2 drs is maybe a bit too much.

or place the DRS detection line for start finish in mid-corner and not in the braking zone of last corner.
playing games would immediately stop.

But why? Let them play games, where is the issue?

if you overtake, you have something to save your place. So after overtaking both car has same thing in the hand for a lap.
You should be against 2 lap without drs after Sc in your logic.

[basti313]

Or overtaker must be able to use other drs zones too. For example car a overtook car b at second drs zone of 3. So car a gain right to use drs next 2 zone.

No, this is rubbish. Then you only have these DRS fly-by overtakes where the overtaking car just vanishes because of the second DRS.

or place the DRS detection line for start finish in mid-corner and not in the braking zone of last corner.
playing games would immediately stop.

But why? Let them play games, where is the issue?

if you overtake, you have something to save your place.

Why? I thought we want to see racing and not save the place of the one who got DRS?

In the past it was so boring even if top cars were out of position....they were just flying through the field especially with the stupid double DRS zones with one trigger. Now, with one corner between the DRS straights and two triggers they have to go balls out and risk to be overtaken again or they hold back and lose time.

This is perfect racing similar to what we saw with Ham vs. Perez last season.
We also saw two nice fights between Leclerc and Verstappen. No idea why we should stop this to make it more boring.

So after overtaking both car has same thing in the hand for a lap.

Ok, this might work

But I actually prefer the switch of the DRS at the moment to make it simply a bit more tricky to overtake. It should not be easy, which is the case if we would have had double DRS zones with one trigger in the last two races. I do not see any chance for Leclerc to fight back if Ver would have had DRS as well.

You should be against 2 lap without drs after Sc in your logic.

I am. DRS should be free once the field has passed turn 1 without incidents. Maybe give them one lap, but 2 laps is definitely too much. Same at the start.
I just do not see arguments to grill the tires of P2 onwards without good reason. Either P1 is well faster or he has to fight for the position.
If DRS is too powerful, then they need to reduce the length of the zones and not try to protect the leader after the start because the zones are too long.

[etusch]

You say that more overtake but Verstappen and everybody understood that you need to use drs to stay close and do overtake only at last one to save your place. This will reduce overtakes. And think that situation; if you are at p 3d and aiming next car after overtaking 2nd, you are faster then 2d car, but you can not go after first one because ex 2nd one overtakes you without any talent but just drs. That is boring.

[f1jcw]

The new staff at Race Control arent any better than Michael Masi with the late call on Carlos Sainz/Sergio Perez. Race Contol arent able to make a decision on the spot. They make a collective decision ?

They keep handing out advantages

[wogx]

CL & MV laughing in Parc Ferme post Saudi Arabia GP

[bonjon1979]

The new staff at Race Control arent any better than Michael Masi with the late call on Carlos Sainz/Sergio Perez. Race Contol arent able to make a decision on the spot. They make a collective decision ?

They keep handing out advantages

Checo couldn't let him back through before the safety car restart. No overtaking allowed, and he was hardly going to lift off on the straight. Don't personally see a problem with it.

[basti313]

You say that more overtake but Verstappen and everybody understood that you need to use drs to stay close and do overtake only at last one to save your place. This will reduce overtakes. And think that situation; if you are at p 3d and aiming next car after overtaking 2nd, you are faster then 2d car, but you can not go after first one because ex 2nd one overtakes you without any talent but just drs. That is boring.

No, we saw enough overtakes on the start/finish straight in Bahrain. Only when two cars are very similar, then we had issues in the second DRS zone. This was amplified by the Ferrari being strong in the first corners.
In the end it was a nice battle and I think the faster car got out first.

In Saudi the DRS zone before the last corner was a bit too long. They simply should not have two super long zones only with one corner in between. Besides this it worked and I think there were also successful fights where to one overtaking before the last corner (Ocon?) stayed ahead.

The new staff at Race Control arent any better than Michael Masi with the late call on Carlos Sainz/Sergio Perez. Race Contol arent able to make a decision on the spot. They make a collective decision ?

They keep handing out advantages

Checo couldn't let him back through before the safety car restart. No overtaking allowed, and he was hardly going to lift off on the straight. Don't personally see a problem with it.

Well...if they want they can order a switch at the main straight. No issue with this. Perez basically overtook under SC as well as he was behind on the SC line.

But I think these discussions will go on. They wanted the head of Masi for Hamilton, not because he was bad. As mentioned in the FIA thread, there is no reason why it should be better with just sacking the most experienced person in the position.

[jz11]

The new staff at Race Control arent any better than Michael Masi with the late call on Carlos Sainz/Sergio Perez. Race Contol arent able to make a decision on the spot. They make a collective decision ?

They keep handing out advantages

Checo couldn't let him back through before the safety car restart. No overtaking allowed, and he was hardly going to lift off on the straight. Don't personally see a problem with it.

100% agree, I didn't hear them saying that the team was ordered to give the place up, so I think RB acted on their own anticipating the ruling to be against them, which would end up costing them more race time in the end, and since they can't give it back under the SC on their own, they did it immediately after the SC, they - RB, literally couldn't do anything more under the regulations, but apparently that isn't enough for few drama queens here, aka cancel culture people

[chrisc90]

I think it was a bit too tight to claim Perez ‘overtook’ before the safety car line. I think the commentators said it was about 1/2metre when they got back and looked at the stills. NO driver is ever going to be able to tell that with another car.

RB must have looked at it and come to the same conclusion.
Nothing wrong with it in the slightest.

[SiLo]

I think many people might not be aware that they changed the regs around handing positions back etc. Race director won't offer teams to do this anymore or tell them, they will just let the stewards decide and then the drivers are on their own.