GreenBkk.com Formula 1 | The verdict so far on DRS

The verdict so far on DRS

Tuesday 19th July 2011

The decision to introduce the Drag Reduction System to assist with overtaking in Formula One has so far been a considerable success.

Although the DRS - effectively a moveable rear wing - still has its critics who claim any overtaking manoeuvres in which the device is employed are artificial, the positives have so far outweighed the negatives.

There has been a notable increase in the amount of on-track action and that has increased television viewing figures, which will no doubt please sponsors involved in the sport.

Courtesy of Mercedes GP, and with the half-way point of the season approaching with this weekend's German Grand Prix, here is a Q&A about the effects of DRS.

How many overtaking manoeuvres have been made in the first nine races?

The raw total is 623, including moves between team-mates, and passes by faster cars on the bottom three teams. This doesn't include overtakes on the first lap or passes made because of damage.

What is the breakdown of overtaking manoeuvres?

Of the 623 passes, 175 were by faster cars on the bottom three teams and 43 were between team-mates. There have been 180 DRS-assisted passing moves, and 225 'normal' (ie non-DRS) passes.

Which races have seen the most passing?

The top three races, using raw totals, were Montreal (136 passes), Istanbul (123) and Shanghai (97). The fewest were Monaco (22), Silverstone (29) and Melbourne (30).

What has been the influence of DRS on overtaking?

DRS has accounted for 29% of passing manoeuvres. DRS passes have outnumbered normal passes at four races: Shanghai (33% of total), Istanbul (41%), Barcelona (35%) and Valencia (50%). The highest number of DRS passes was at Istanbul (50), followed by Shanghai (31) and Barcelona (29). The fewest were in Monaco (2), Melbourne (5) and Silverstone (6).

What has been the balance between DRS passes and normal passes?

The race in which DRS passes outweighed normal passes to the greatest extent was Valencia: 50% of passes were DRS-enabled, compared to 11% of normal moves. The race at which normal passes outweighed DRS moves to the greatest extent was Monaco, with 64% of normal moves compared to 9% of DRS moves. The next most extreme was Silverstone, with 55% of normal moves compared to 21% of DRS-assisted passes.

Credit: ESPN STAR (www.espnstar.com)