DRS Activation zone for the British GP

[GAjon]

Was just sat here pondering where the DRS activation zone will be situated at Silverstone for the British GP, has it been decided already?

Anyway if it hasn’t, I think I’d not go for the obvious Hanger straight, but the new Wellington straight so as to give the possibility of dicing for a retake through the Complex.
What do you think?

[deveng]

I think they are taking it one race at a time, judging how effective each one is and planning the next based on it.

[Life Saab Itch]

The plan is to eventually have more than one DRS zone at some circuits.

Monza, for example, could quite easily have 4 zones:
Start/finish straight, Curva Grand-chicane 2, Lesmos-Ascari chicane and ascari chicane- parabolica.

[Silverbullet767]

Forget Silverstone, what about Monaco?

You need balls for that one, they already run massive amounts of wing at monaco, imagine going through the tunnel on that right hander and opening the wing mid bend....

[ajprice]

Silverbullet767 said:

Forget Silverstone, what about Monaco?

You need balls for that one, they already run massive amounts of wing at monaco, imagine going through the tunnel on that right hander and opening the wing mid bend....

Did any teams use their 'F-duct' last year or KERS there in 2009? The only straight(ish) bits I can see as possibilities if they do run DRS there are the start finish 'straight', Sainte Devote up the hill to Massanet, or the tunnel. All of those places look like scary places for it

[fomb]

GAjon said:

I think I’d not go for the obvious Hanger straight

Indeed - that would be a bad choice. I think DRS favours a nice big stop at the end to help with providing the opportunity. Hangar is far from that.

[miniman]

Got to be the new Wellington straight, into Brooklands at a guess?

[GAjon]

So a possible 2 or more DRS zones? Should make it interesting.
In that case - Wellington straight as my first thought then, what about the existing pits straight into Copse for a slingshot out to Becketts.

[AlexS]

ajprice said:

Did any teams use their 'F-duct' last year or KERS there in 2009? The only straight(ish) bits I can see as possibilities if they do run DRS there are the start finish 'straight', Sainte Devote up the hill to Massanet, or the tunnel. All of those places look like scary places for it

McLaren actually first tested their F-Duct at Monaco in 2009 and used it again last year.

[Aizletree]

I know this thread is for Silverstone, but Monaco has taken over.

Just read on the BBC F1 Gossip that the FIA are considering not running DRS at Monaco due to safety reasons.

[EDLT]

It wouldn't make much difference anyway, there is nowhere to overtake.

[Dangerous2]

Aizletree said:

I know this thread is for Silverstone, but Monaco has taken over.

Just read on the BBC F1 Gossip that the FIA are considering not running DRS at Monaco due to safety reasons.

i think this is crap.

the DRS is just like any other control the car has - use it properly, you go fast and don't crash. Use it wrongly, you crash,

I'd love to see the drivers on the edge through the tunnel and at other points round the circuit.

[zac510]

It's the track that needs it the most, I hope it's used in the race at least.

[cosicave]

Dangerous2 said:

Aizletree said:

I know this thread is for Silverstone, but Monaco has taken over.

Just read on the BBC F1 Gossip that the FIA are considering not running DRS at Monaco due to safety reasons.

i think this is crap.

the DRS is just like any other control the car has - use it properly, you go fast and don't crash. Use it wrongly, you crash,

I'd love to see the drivers on the edge through the tunnel and at other points round the circuit.

I'm with you on this one Dangerous2.

I have been suggesting from the outset that they dispense with the gimmicky concept of an 'overtaking zone' altogether - by allowing its use by any driver within a second of the car in front, anywhere the driver chooses.

Back to Silverstone: presuming that things stand as they do at present with DRS restricted to just one place, my hunch is that we'll see DRS activation on the Wellington Straight to please as many people as possible. Of course, Silverstone - along with Monza - is one of the most obvious circuits where it could be used in many places.

[Allyc85]

With thr flat wings they run at Monza it, will be interesting to see how the flap even works when open.

[Aizletree]

Allyc85 said:

With thr flat wings they run at Monza it, will be interesting to see how the flap even works when open.

They should reverse the system for extra cornering and/or braking downforce!

[Aizle]

Thought I'd bump this after the FIA has said that DRS will be used at Monaco, haven't said where, found it on BBC F1 Gossip.

[Dangerous2]

hooray, can't wait to see that. I bet we'll see some mercedes in the walls.

[Aizle]

Or Teflonso if his wing mysteriously opens "of it's own accord" again.

[Murph7355]

Dangerous2 said:

i think this is crap.

the DRS is just like any other control the car has - use it properly, you go fast and don't crash. Use it wrongly, you crash,

I'd love to see the drivers on the edge through the tunnel and at other points round the circuit.

I feel this way about many, many aspects of F1 these days. The "safety at all costs" aspect is what has damaged the sport's excitement, and in a good part down to denuded circuits (straying slightly off topic). A corner isn't inherently dangerous (assuming there are no spikes, barbed wire etc immediately off the line). Going round it quicker than is possible is (either because of the car's capability or the driver's or a combo of both).

DRS, IMO, is a similar thing. It allows an attack into a corner. It should be wholly down to the driver to use when they want. If he uses it incorrectly, he may go off. If he doesn't, he may get an advantage. Let them use it whenever they want.

If we are sooooooooo worried about the consequences of them getting this wrong, a proper rethink needs to be done on the cars. Remove all notion of downforce and use road tyres. This is the only way to reduce cornering speeds meaningfully. And when we do this, remove all the money from the sport too - the whole skill/risk/reward balance would need re-addressing.