timbo wrote:Emerson.F wrote:Less downforce, means less difference in speeds with DRS open than last year.
I don't think it's that simple. We also have mandated longer chord DRS, so it should counteract loss of DF this year.
And I'm not sure I buy this:
Emerson.F wrote:The previous cars had less torque so DRS was much more powerfull with the high revving engines. (with less torue)
When you determine how fast you can potentially go, it's power that matters, as it is force times velocity. So the steady state condition when your engine produces work against drag and there's no acceleration it is power that matters.
DRS is more powerful this year in terms of gained top speed. In malaysia it was at least 20 kmh (alonso no drs 288kmh, with drs 314kmh on the back straight). Last year was maybe 13-15kmh. The problems is all gains are in the top end, and the straights are generally too short to make full use of that extra speed. In previous years drivers would go into kers abuse mode to get to get in the slipstream of leading driver and drs was only there to top it off.
TLDR. DRS is more powerful but less effective because there's no manual kers boost.
