F1 2011 and why i think they've missed the point.

[Steven]

I've said a lot about DRS already this year, and I am currently of the opinion that in this first year the FIA is likely also still learning about it. However, they surely have lots and lots more data to use to decide where to put the DRS zone.

In Australia, DRS was spot on. We had little overtakes because of the system, and it was still very challenging to get it right. It was a clear improvement for me, as in years before it was virtually impossible to overtake there. Now it was just difficult.

Unfortunately, there are other races where it was a joke, both early on in the season as well as recently. Malaysia was too easy, China was just a joke, Spa was too easy and Monza as well. Even in Singapore I think it was a little bit too much.

There is some sort of concensus that overtaking should be difficult, and I hope the FIA will adjust the system next year towards what the fans want.

[raymondu999]

I think what made Australia great with DRS was that it enabled better positioning into the better overtaking zone (as people defended into Turn 1, people could get a run on them by cutting back through to Turn 3

[lebesset]

Haha, whoever claims that there were no overtakes due to the tyres has not seen every race. I think the tyres are perfect. Without the DRS it would be all fine. These tyres and DRS together make it a bit boring. But they wanted more overtakes and they achieved their goal, a bit of overkill to me, but maybe they will ban DRS in the future. Fuelstops were intersting but those "strategies" killed many races in my opinion, now it is all ot or nothing.
Remember those boring races from the 2000, now do you want that back, where only one or two pilots were fighting for the victory.
Now its more like 125ccm Motobike racing with fights until the end (ok Red Bull is a bit strong for that), but remeber HAM against Massa in Silverstone.

DRS is a questionable device and should be banned.

But these tires definitely did their job, and that very well.

+1

pirelli have risked their reputation and done a fantastic job ...chapeau to them

kers works because it is limited and judgement is required to get the best from it

DRS is just artificial nonsense

[WhiteBlue]

I don't like the current tyre philosophy. It is true that Pirelli did a very good job but making the tyres as fragile as they are now is clearly an over kill measure. You do get the excessive marbles and artificial pit stops are completely useless if you have DRS to avoid processions. So in my opinion the tyres must become more robust in terms of shedding rubber and the artificial rules like starting on certain tyres and having to use two types should be abolished. Ideally I would like a balance of zero stops versus one stop strategies to be competing for fastest race times. That would also have a beneficial cost and environmental effect.

I agree with many other fans who think that DRS was occasionally overdone. But they will hopefully learn and balance it correctly in the future.

KERS like all efficiency technologies needs more prominence in the rules in my view. The teams should be forced by the rules to spend more research on extracting more power from the same amount of fuel. Today it is all about maximizing downforce regardless of the cost and fuel consumption. This is pointless in my view. Unfortunately FOTA is ruled by the constructors and they want aero and not propulsion efficiency to be the focal point. A bit stupid but probably nothing we can do something about by discussing it.

[mike]

i think the main point of these rule changes is to promote different drivers to do different things, kers is great because drivers can chose when to use it and it is quite equal, the tire situation is acceptable, but due to wear rate and speed difference, every1 just does the same thing, and marbles are bad for racing full stop.

as we see in the wet, why are wet races so good, its because that the track is slippery on the racing line and grip is else where, so every driver can take a different line as long as its not the racing line to get grip, and hence we see overtakes and some cars faster than others in some areas.

in terms of following a car, the problem as always been that the car in front will perform at higher percentage of downforce available to the car behind driving in turbulent air will cost you a few % of downforce and hence grip at the corners when cars are at the limit of traction the situation is unlikely to change as long as you have downforce, however, the problem has been the acceleration time to top speed, today's cars due to high power and gear rations accelerates almost in the entire straight and hence its hard to get a tow. if we reduce the power and increase drag to f1 cars, we will see that they hit top speed earlier and a tow is more available to the driver behind.

DRS is aimed to reduce such problem, however, as we can see in monza if the car in front is geared higher, your chances of tow is none. 1 obvious problem with DRS is the predictability, every driver in front knows when you are going to be faster and likely to over take and they will likely to know how the driver behind is going to do, hence as the season goes on, unless DRS gives a huge advantage, overtakes are well defend.
if care only have 500hp then i think there will be alot more tow available, given they design cars with the same amount of drag.