FIA set to restrict use of DRS in qualifying for 2013 - Charlie Whiting informs the team of safety concerns
Published by Christine
Welcome to F1Minute - FIA set to restrict use of DRS in qualifying for 2013.
The DRS system has been in place for two seasons now and, along with the tyre compounds provided by Pirelli, has made an impact in the amount of overtaking we have seen. The one or two DRS zones per circuit allow a following driver to manipulate the rear wing for that specific area during the race, but in practice and qualifying, drivers have been able to deploy the DRS at any point around the track.
For 2013, the FIA are going to restrict this usage, with Charlie Whiting reportedly letting the teams know that it is for safety reasons. The FIA delegate has said: “There have been a number of incidents and drivers have told me that it’s becoming increasingly prevalent. The whole point of the DRS was to improve overtaking opportunities in the race, we didn’t really want to have it used in qualifying and practice before.”
Along with the safety implications, the change should allow teams to improve the DRS for its intended purpose - halfway down a long straight, for example - rather than compromising the system to work around an entire lap.
