Formula 1’s new technical rules for 2022 may allow the series to stop relying on the Drag Reduction System to aid overtaking, says Aston Martin’s technical director.
DRS was introduced to F1 in 2011. It allows any driver who has closed within one second of a rival ahead in a race to open a flap on their rear wings to reduce drag and increase their straight-line speed, aiding their attempts to pass.
While this has proved an effective way of encouraging overtaking, it has also attracted constant criticism for generating passes which are considered artificial and impossible to defend against.
In a further effort to improve the quality of racing, F1 has introduced radical new technical rules for 2022. These require teams to create cars which should generate remarkably less drag and therefore be able to follow each other more closely without the aid of DRS.
While the rules allow teams to continue using DRS, Aston Martin’s technical director Andrew Green is hopeful it will become…