The reduction of DRS zones
Already at the Baku city circuit, the two Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, had complained to the International Federation about the decision to shorten the DRS zone of the Azerbaijani track. The two British drivers had found the choice surprising, as it seemed evident that this season making overtaking maneuvers had become more difficult than it was last year. In particular, George Russell did not appreciate that the decision had come without a process of discussion with the drivers, but unilaterally from the FIA.
But a week later, two of the three activation zones of the movable wing present on the Miami track were shortened by 75 meters, as emerged from the official documents of the American event. This generated debate among the drivers questioned by journalists on Thursday in Florida.
Charles Leclerc criticizes the FIA
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc told his point of view on the subject at a press conference, criticizing the FIA: “I don’t think shortening the DRS zones is the right direction. With these cars, it’s still quite difficult to chase rivals. It’s better than the previous generation of single-seaters, but not so much that we should use the DRS less.”
Max Verstappen doesn’t like DRS
Despite the great advantage produced by the DRS of his Red Bull, Max Verstappen is not a fan of the movable wing, as he confessed at the press conference ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix: “Reducing the DRS zone? I would prefer to race without DRS, but it’s not possible. When there is a difference of one or two tenths, when you’re in the DRS train, there’s no chance of overtaking. The heaviness of the cars and the shorter DRS zones, the rigid cars: that’s why you can’t pass, with this increased load it’s difficult to follow those ahead.”
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Fernando Alonso is with the FIA
Two-time F1 world champion and Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso explained – contrary to his colleagues – that he likes the FIA’s choice: “I agree with the decision made. It was easy to overtake here last year, and they shortened the DRS zone. As happened in Baku. I heard that Lewis Hamilton complained about the length of the DRS zone, but I think he found it short due to their high aerodynamic load. It depends from car to car. Lack of overtaking? Usually you finish the qualifying session in the position you deserve, so how do you expect to overtake someone who was half a tenth faster than you in the race? Then it could also be a problem with tires, which overheat too much when chasing someone. You have to choose carefully when approaching rivals.” – the Spaniard pointed out.
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