Let’s take a look at the top speeds and the DRS effectiveness based on data collected from the qualifying session for the 2023 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the 5.807-kilometre Suzuka International Racing Course on Saturday:
Source: FDataAnalysis Twitter
Observations:
The Suzuka circuit needs excellent aerodynamics, which means the teams have to focus on:
– High downforce (for the high-speed corners)
– Low drag (many full-throttle sections)
In other words: efficiency and unfortunately the Red Bull RB19 car is unmatched in that
Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren behaved similarly
Mercedes had terrible drag
DRS effectiveness
Top speeds (km/h)
DRS closed vs open
Red Bull: 311 vs 335 (+24)
Ferrari: 309 vs 330 (+21)
Aston Martin: 309 vs 330 (+21)
McLaren: 313 vs 330 (+17)
Mercedes: 309 vs 324 (+15)
Drag decrease: 13% (Merc) to 20% (RB)
McL’s was fastest with the DRS closed!
Mercedes was 1.031s off pole: the biggest gap they’ve had in a qualifying this year. Previous largest were 0.963s (Miami) and 0.919 (Belgium) Due to the focus that Suzuka places on aerodynamics, it is possible that they were impacted by the TD… or maybe it was just a combination of bad session+race focused setup
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