Miami GP venue to feature two shortened DRS zones for 2023 F1 race despite driver complaints. Miami GP venue to feature two shortened DRS zones.

Passing will be more difficult, but DRS zones will be shortened
The trend of reducing the length of DRS zones compared to the 2022 Formula 1 season continues. If the DRS zone on the starting straight was shortened at the Baku City Circuit, in Miami, the first two DRS zones will both be shortened by 75 meters, for a total of 150 meters less to cover with the open rear wing during Qualifying and the Race when within one second of the car ahead. However, the third DRS zone remains unchanged, the one on the long straight that ends with the tight 45° left-hand corner.

The first zone is located between Turns 9 and 11 – with Turn 10 being a flat-out kink – and the second one is located between Turns 16 and 17.

The decision to reduce the length of the available DRS meters certainly goes against the significant decrease in overtaking opportunities. The 2023 Formula One cars, in fact, generate more harmful vortices for the cars following them compared to their 2022 “sisters”, making it more difficult to stay close to competitors and, consequently, launch winning attacks even when DRS is available.

Surely, every meter less of DRS corresponds to a few milliseconds “taken away” in Qualifying from Red Bull, which currently enjoys a clear technical advantage when activating the rear movable wing, reducing resistance and increasing speed on straight sections.

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With three DRS zones available, the impact of reducing the first two will probably be smaller than observed in Baku, Azerbaijan, where objectively reducing the main DRS zone frustrated many potential battles, as several drivers pointed out at the end of the weekend which was held at the Azerbaijani circuit. Last year, the Miami Grand Prix was quite eventful, and there was also some fighting for the top positions, with Max Verstappen managing to pass Charles Leclerc on the track in what was the key battle for the Grand Prix victory at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida, USA.