2024 F1 Italian GP: Monza DRS zone extended on main straight to facilitate overtaking. The FIA has decided to extend the DRS zone on the main straight by 103 meters.

In recent years, the FIA has continuously reviewed the length of DRS zones in an attempt to find the right balance. Often, the governing body has reduced the range of areas where the movable wing can be utilized, mainly because it recognized that on some tracks, overtaking had become too easy, making the on-track action seem artificial. However, this is not the case for all events on the calendar, as the opposite effect has been observed on some tracks.

For example, in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to overtake at Monza, and even with the use of DRS, there has often been little on-track action, with positions remaining unchanged. Last season, Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari managed to keep Max Verstappen’s Red Bull behind him for a long time, while Alex Albon, taking advantage of Williams’ excellent top speed, managed to stay ahead of both McLarens until the finish line.

For this reason, at this year’s Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit, the governing body decided to review the DRS zone on the main straight, extending it by 103 meters. While the detection point, the spot where it is determined if the following car is within one second of the car ahead, remains unchanged, still set 20 meters after the exit of the Parabolica, the activation line has been moved 103 meters earlier.

Until last year, the activation point was located 115 meters after the finish line, which remains in the same spot at the beginning of the pit lane despite the resurfacing work done on the track over the past year. Starting from this season, however, it has been moved to just 12 meters after the line that marks the end of the lap.

The FIA hopes that this modification will increase the number of overtakes into Turn 1, especially considering that teams use low-downforce wings with reduced profiles at Monza, thus decreasing the effectiveness of the DRS. The aim is not so much to have cars overtaking on the straight but to make it easier to attempt an overtaking maneuver into the first chicane.

The Italian circuit also has a second DRS zone, with the detection point set 95 meters before the second Lesmo curve and activation 170 meters after the same Turn 7. However, there has been no alteration to this zone compared to last year.