F1 Drivers Want a DRS Zone Through Blanchimont

F1 race director Charlie Whiting has said that a few drivers approached him regarding a new DRS zone. According to him, they want it to go through Blanchimont, the fast left-hand turn in Belgium.

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps already has two DRS zones in operation. One is situated on the start-finish straight and the second one runs down the Kemmel Straight, between turns 6 and 7. However, this year, a few tracks have had a third DRS zone added to their layout. This move was implemented in order to try and get the F1 cars closer together.

Whiting said that some drivers spoke to him on the matter. However, Whiting has opted against against it. He stated that he doesn’t believe it to be a “good idea”.

“The DRS zone going up to Les Combes will be 100 metres longer. The other DRS zone is on the pit straight, which doesn’t really do an awful lot,” he said.

“I did have a discussion with a couple of drivers this weekend about where else we could do it at Spa, and I think it’s not really realistic to do it anywhere else. Some drivers fancied the idea of going through Turn 16 and 17 with it open, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

Whiting’s decision was likely influenced by scene at Silverstone earlier this season. In July, at the British Grand Prix, drivers could go through Turn 1 with the DRS open. Unfortunately, this led to big crashes for Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson in separate incidents.

In Grosjean’s case, when he crashed out, an unsuspecting Carlos Sainz Jr became an innocent victim. Sainz tried passing the Frenchman round the outside in the closing stages of the race. But then, Grosjean lost control and oversteered into the Renault in a tangled heap.