DRS Zone & Double DRS Zone- good or bad?

Drag Reduction System (DRS) is one of the new features introduced this season. It is supposed to increase the number of overtakings in a race in a bid to make Formula 1 more visually appealing to the viewers. It has both been praised and criticized by section of the media and also by some of the drivers.

DRS opens an adjustable flap on the rear wing to reduce aerodynamic drag, which increases downforce for greater cornering but reduces speed, thus giving the pursuing car more speed and a greater chance of overtaking the car in front. If a driver is behind another driver by less than a second in a specific point on the track then the DRS becomes electronically activated. A driver can use this DRS system in a particular part of the track during the race. A well working DRS unit can add upto 15-17 kmph more.

The introduction of DRS has produced more overtaking chances than before. Some feel that DRS has made overtaking in long straights very easy as the car using the DRS system can get an extra 10-15 kmph over the car in front. This increased speed has made overtaking relatively easy. For example in 2010 Turkish Grand Prix the total number of overtaking maneuvers executed were about 15, whereas in 2011 Turkish Grand Prix there were 128 overtaking maneuvers executed.

FIA from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards have started marking 2 separate DRS zone in tracks that have two successive long straights. But what they haven’t done is add two separate DRS Detection Points. So immediately there is a loophole in the laws of the sports. Consider this scenario where car B is behind car A by less than a second. Let car B cross car A in the first DRS zone. Now according to the rules, car A who is behind cannot use the DRS in the 2^nd zone to overtake car B. BUT car B can still use the DRS system as he was seen to be less than a second behind car A during the DRS detection point. This gives an unfair speed advantage to car B to pull away at a faster speed than car A.

The FIA must work quickly to rectify this loophole in the rule books. In place of adding another Detection Point they can place what I call a “Partial Detection Point” at the end of the first straight which senses whether the car behind has overtaken the car in front. If so then the DRS can be de-activated in both the cars.

DRS has certainly added a new dimension to the sport. It helps in overtaking which is what viewers want to see. It has made the sport more appealing with more overtaking maneuvers. But on the other hand I feel that DRS have taken away the factor of drivers’ skill in times of overtaking maneuvers.

Building The Perfect Team

Team Red Bull may have built a car that almost no one can match. But is it the perfect car? What if we take parts from all the 12 teams to build what I call the Perfect Team. Lets see which parts from which team makes the cut.

Aerodynamics- Red Bull

This was probably the easiest choice I had to make. In terms of aerodynamic efficiency I will say only McLaren and Ferrari have come anywhere near to matching them. But both of those teams are still way behind. One might argue that the early season Red Bull dominance may be down to their perfecting the Blown Diffuser system. But whether or not that is the case remains to be seen as it has been outlawed from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Engine- Mercedes FO 108Y

I was inclined to go for the Renault RS27-2011 engine that is present on Red Bull Racing, Renault and Team Lotus, but instead chose the Mercedes FO 108Y on the McLaren, Mercedes and Force India. Over the past few seasons McLaren's strong showings have been down to the raw power their Mercedes manufactured engines can churn out. With the proper aerodynamic set up they can post the fastest straight line speeds.

DRS- Mercedes

In spite of the problem of the air attaching once the DRS wing has been deactivated (a problem i came to know of until recently) I still chose the Mercedes version of the DRS system. The Mercedes DRS system can add upto 15-18 kmph once it is activated. Whereas in comparison the McLaren developed unit adds only about 5-7 kmph. It is widely regarded in the paddock that the Mercedes version is the most developed of the DRS system.

KERS- Ferrari/McLaren

Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) recovers the energy lost in braking and stores that energy in a battery. That energy can be used by the drivers for a duration of 6.6 seconds over a single lap. Red Bull have not been able to develop their KERS unit properly as we have heard of it failing a number of times this season. I chose Ferrari/ McLaren as they have acheived good stability with the weight distribution of the overall car.

Team Director- Martin Whitmarsh

Handling with two competitive drivers both of whom are challenging for the championship is never easy. Christian Horner tried, but after Turkey 2010 (and also Britain 2010) (in my view) he failed to look after Mark Webber by giving priority to young prodigy Sebastien Vettel. Stefano Domenicalli could have handled two championship chasing drivers, but at some stages he looks a bit lost with setting the strategy. Martin Whitmarsh on the other hand exudes a sense of calm in the McLaren garage. He is able to manage Lewis Hamilton's ego, which in itself is a big task, properly to some extent.

Drivers- Sebastein Vettel and Fernando Alonso. Nico Hulkenberg (third driver)

Choosing from a field of 24 of the best drivers in the world is never an easy task. But under the present condition and judging by their respective form and talent I am going with a pairing of Sebastien Vettel and Fernando Alonso. And as a third driver I am choosing an up and coming talent who I think is a contender for future championships given the right car.

Sebastien Vettel would probably walk into anyone’s dream line up given the nature of his dominance in this current season. He has won 6 out of the first 8 races, and has been either 2nd or 1st in every single one of the races so far. He has even secured Pole position 7 times already. Statistics even show that he has led above 80% of the total number of laps this season. He has matured as a driver since his much criticized crash into team-mate Mark Webber in Turkey last year. He can nurse the fast degrading Pirelli tyres very well. Vettel is still very young (turning 24 on July 3^rd) and has a bright future ahead of him. Many even say that he can overtake Michael Schumacher’s record of 7 World Championships.

The other driver that I chose is a double World Champion Fernando Alonso. He is one of the most talented drivers on the grid today. He can adapt very quickly with different conditions. He is equally fast in both dry and rainy conditions. He has shown the ability to get more than maximum out from his car. Many times this season he has punched above his weight with his Ferrari. Alonso can be both aggressive and defensive as the situation requires. I particularly remember his defending qualities in the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix when he blocked a much faster Michael Schumacher for over 15 laps.

Nico Hulkenberg is a driver whom I greatly admire. He has shown that he is genuinely quick in his first season in Formula 1. But unfortunately he could not secure a race seat in the current season owing to inability to rope in big sponsors. Last year he even got an unfancied Williams to qualify in Pole for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Given a chance in one of the front running teams, he has the talent to challenge for points or even a podium place.

Fans- Ferrari Tifosi

No other team has such a large and passionate set of fan as Ferrari. Their fans are extremely passionate about their racing team and support Ferrari through thick and thin. It’s impossible to find an empty seat during the Italian Grand Prix. The stands at Monza are filled with a sea of scarlet colour wearing supporters though out the race weekend including the practice sessions.

Introduction

Welcome readers,

Through this blog I will try to write about F1 in general, everything that has been going on in F1. I wont ramble on about the whole race as most of you petrol heads would have already seen it live. Instead I will try to pick out some of the moments that I felt had an important bearing on the final standing as well as write about few other stuff that had happened all through this season.

Lastly, I must stress on this point, that I write this blog with my views in my mind. My views may differ from that of yours (the reader). So feel free to comment on the posts. It would also help my writing by taking your views into account.