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via Getty

via Getty

The new season is already underway, and we’ve seen some great racing. The 2022 F1 season has given the fans great spectacle in terms of race anticipation and excitement. Thanks to new rules and regulations for the new season.

As the cars have become close in performance with each other, the tendency to overtake has become more prominent. This year the two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have seen almost double overtakes as that of last year. One important thing that goes into this is the use of DRS, which has proved to be more efficient this time around. With so many overtakes already down, this season has the potential to bring in more “cat and mouse” moments in the races to come.

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Talking about the DRS, the two incidents that remind us are the duels between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. In Bahrain, Verstappen overtook Charles to go ahead in Turn 1. Charles regained the lead after using DRS after going into turn 4. This continued as much as 2 times. Moreover, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw a similar picture when the duo went for a duel again.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has recently opened up on this. The team boss has conveyed, “DRS is so powerful that drivers play with each other like cat and mouse by slowing down before the DRS detection point and accelerating towards the corner. I think we need to look at where the DRS detection zone is for years to come. This situation should definitely be avoided.”

What is DRS in F1?

DRS in motor racing is the term for Drag Reduction System. It is a form of adjustable body-work that can be operated by the drivers. This system reduces drag and increases top speed and hence enables a great push for overtaking in the strights.

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In F1, it is an adjustable rear-wing operable by the driver. However, one can’t make use of the system every now and then. There are strict rules for this. The drivers must cross the DRS detection zone before enabling it. Moreover, the car behind should be under one second to activate DRS to overtake.

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The new season paved way for the new cars. The cars aren’t just different from their 2021 predecessors but also have different aerodynamic functions. Their DRS is much stronger than compared to the previous cars. Moreover, the new cars leave less dirty air behind, which allows the cars behind to follow up more closely.