Fourth DRS did not help in Singapore, claims Oscar Piastri

Reflecting on last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri stated that the fourth DRS zone did actually not aid overtaking at the Marina Bay Circuit.

The tight and twisty nature of the Marina Bay Circuit often leads to the formation of a train of cars, all running nose to tail, unable to overtake because there is not enough of a performance difference.

Therefore, in an effort to produce more on-track action, the FIA had decided to introduce a fourth DRS zone for last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, placing the new zone between Turns 14 and 16.

Overtaking still proved a difficult affair last Sunday, with drivers starting from further back on the grid than expected having found it difficult to make inroads through the field.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was among the drivers to start from lower than hoped after his high-speed crash at Turn 19 in the last qualifying segment. The Spaniard found himself in a train of cars at the start of the race, and he was unable to overtake RB's Yuki Tsunoda.

As a result, Ferrari decided to call him in for his sole pit stop early. Although he rejoined the track, finding himself at the lower end of the field, the tyre advantage meant that he could execute some impressive overtaking manoeuvres.

Reflecting on the fourth DRS zone, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri sounded a sceptical note, indicating that the sole overtaking spot remained the run down to Turn 7.

"I mean, I guess you guys didn't really test it, so... It didn't change the world, to be honest. Both of my overtakes were into Turn 7, so... Yeah, I think that part of the track where the new DRS zone is very slippery, so actually trying to stay close to someone is very tough.

"And the straight is still not long enough really to make big inroads, so I think it didn't make that much of a difference to be honest," Piastri noted.