No plan to scrap DRS in the near future

According to Formula One’s sporting boss Ross Brawn the sport does not intend to get rid of DRS, the overtaking aid in the near future despite himself no fan of the device.

The drag reduction system was introduced in 2011 following harsh criticism regarding the lack of overtaking. To cure the problem, FIA introduced a driver-adjustable bodywork which reduces the drag to increase top-speed and thus promote overtaking.

This adjustable rear wing which moves in response to driver commands is the only moving part of the car which has the primary purpose of affecting the car’s aerodynamics. The device has also been used in the former Renault 3.5 Series, DTM, FIA F2 and GP3 Series.

Over the years, there has been a mixed reaction to the introduction of DRS in Formula One amongst both fans and drivers. Some believe that this is the solution to the lack of overtaking in F1 in recent years while others believe this has made overtaking artificial.

Former Ferrari technical director and current F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn said Liberty Media does not intend to scrap the device which should stay in formula one for now.

"My hope is that the cars will develop to the point that we don’t need it anymore, but in the near future that will not happen. Before we can improve the racing, we need to thoroughly understand what’s going on. We can follow our gut instinct, but that’s not good enough when you think about how incredibly complicated these cars are.”

Regarding possible future technical changes, the 63-year-old thinks it is possible that his technical team decides to sacrifice some speed of the current F1 machines in favour of improving the racing.

"Speed plays an important role and the fans want to see the fastest cars. But if we see a way to make the racing better, then I would be willing to sacrifice some speed,” concluded Brawn.