Your opinion on 'Drag Reduction System'

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Originally Posted by V12

Still not a fan. The slipstream is/was a naturally occurring phenomenon and wasn't restricted to a computer-controlled FIA-defined zone so there can be no comparison here.

I actually think the moveable wing would be an interesting addition to the sport IF it was available to all drivers all the time as it is in qualifying, it makes the cars faster and more efficient, and even opens up the possibility of driver errors such as the guy who crashed in qualifying at Melbourne when he pressed the button a little too early exiting the final corner, but the way it is at the minute, I'm sorry, I don't care how entertaining China was, scripted movies and TV dramas can also be entertaining, and for something calling itself a sport it's still a joke to be honest. And that's before we even get to the new tyres for this year as well.

Hopefully some serious thought can be put into the 2013 regs so we can get rid of this and in time it will be just a curious blot on the sport's history.

Give me a so-called "boring" (yeah right) 1990s or early 2000s race any day, at least those were real.

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The problem for you is that most people prefer artificial racing to that of 1988, 1992 or the Schumacher years.

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Originally Posted by DexDexter

Anything can fail, we have to stop racing altogether if we think like you do. Every year there are tires running around, carbon fibre in the air and so on. It's risky, that's why the are paid so well.

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Ho hum. :(

The FIA have implemented a "push to pass" mechanism that is, in its active state, designed to radically alter the handling characteristics in what I consider, a dangerous way.

If they reversed their version of "ON" it would achieve similar with any unintentional device activation being safer. Rather than a failure requiring a driver penalty because he may have gained an advantage, or worse, a car has T-boned an armco barrier 3 metres off the side of the track, a failure in the reverse model would result in a driver screaming down the mike for his engineers to fix it.

I don't see why this change is considered a problem. Oversteer is dangerous, unexpected oversteer can be truly catastrophic.

[quote="Whyzars"]

Oversteer is fun. (I realise you are making a serious point but with petrol running thru my veins I couldn't let that one slide - if you'll pardon the pun ;) )

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Originally Posted by Whyzars

I used the example of total rear wing failures to illustrate how dangerous a sudden oversteer condition is. We have actually seen the DRS activate before the car was properly balanced in the straight in Melbourne. That incident in itself might have prompted the immediate removal of DRS but I think they saw it as a controller error and not a failure of the device. Only brilliant reflexes on the driver's behalf saved the car as there is no safety runoff at the sides of straights.

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Sutil made a driver error when he engaged the DRS too early in Melbourne. This is a different point entirely to the one I think you're trying to make about DRS 'failing' and activating when the driver doesn't expect it. If a driver makes an error with DRS and crashes I don't see how thats different to any other kind of driver error.

DRS is designed to default to its 'off' position, ie in its high downforce state. If the control mechanism fails then its locked in that position. What you're talking about can't happen unless the entire wing fails.

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Originally Posted by Sonic

Oversteer is fun. (I realise you are making a serious point but with petrol running thru my veins I couldn't let that one slide - if you'll pardon the pun ;) )

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Pun pardoned.

Porsche drivers from around the world totally know what you mean. :)

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Originally Posted by Dylan H

DRS is designed to default to its 'off' position, ie in its high downforce state. If the control mechanism fails then its locked in that position. What you're talking about can't happen unless the entire wing fails.

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So does that mean Alonso deliberately cheated when his wing activated in China out of the sector? I thought it was a malfunction and incorrectly popped open causing him problems, but what you're saying is that can't happen?

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Originally Posted by TMorel

So does that mean Alonso deliberately cheated when his wing activated in China out of the sector? I thought it was a malfunction and incorrectly popped open causing him problems, but what you're saying is that can't happen?

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I'm talking about the safety aspect of DRS deploying in the corners. That can't happen and hasn't as they are designed to switch off as soon as brake pressure is applied. The software lockout system thats supposed to function when the car isn't in the designated DRS sector is another matter entirely.

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Originally Posted by Dylan H

I'm talking about the safety aspect of DRS deploying in the corners. That can't happen and hasn't as they are designed to switch off as soon as brake pressure is applied. The software lockout system thats supposed to function when the car isn't in the designated DRS sector is another matter entirely.

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I'm not talking about the DRS deploying under braking, I'm talking about it deploying under acceleration in a sweeping corner.

It only takes three things to happen for someone to get hurt, the wrong point on the track, the DRS deploying unexpectedly and the driver being unable to "catch" the sudden oversteer condition.

Very silly design when the polar opposite of what they've done would achieve the same thing, maybe even be better at it and be so much safer.

The mind absolutely boggles as to why they would implement the DRS this way. Probably a choice between slowing the leading car versus making the trailing car faster and faster always wins.

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Originally Posted by Whyzars

I'm not talking about the DRS deploying under braking, I'm talking about it deploying under acceleration in a sweeping corner.

It only takes three things to happen for someone to get hurt, the wrong point on the track, the DRS deploying unexpectedly and the driver being unable to "catch" the sudden oversteer condition.

Very silly design when the polar opposite of what they've done would achieve the same thing, maybe even be better at it and be so much safer.

The mind absolutely boggles as to why they would implement the DRS this way. Probably a choice between slowing the leading car versus making the trailing car faster and faster always wins.

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I'm with you all the way on this DRS thing , Whyzars .

The addition of a more degradable tire would have been enough .

I , too , worry that a failure is gonna be bad if it's in the wrong spot .

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Originally Posted by Whyzars

I'm not talking about the DRS deploying under braking, I'm talking about it deploying under acceleration in a sweeping corner.

It only takes three things to happen for someone to get hurt, the wrong point on the track, the DRS deploying unexpectedly and the driver being unable to "catch" the sudden oversteer condition.

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The only way it can be deployed in the situation you describe is if the driver presses a button to do so in qualifying or practice with his foot off the brake pedal which is driver error. I really don't see how that is different to any other situation involving driver error. Sutil's example which is the one you chose illustrates that perfectly.