FIA Looking to Move Away from DRS in 2021

FIA technical chief Nikolas Tombazis hopes that the 2021 season will see the last of the DRS. He dubbed the overtaking device as a “necessary evil.”

The DRS’s influence has been increased with the new 2019-20 aerodynamic rules. However, many see that as a temporary solution to F1’s problems.

Tombazis is working in tandem with the FOM’s team of engineers, led by F1 chief technical officer Pat Symonds, on the 2021 regulations.

Apparently, reports suggest that DRS will not be necessary with the new aerodynamic package. Even F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn has voiced his displeasure against it.

“It is right that there’s this underlying discomfort with DRS, and I share it as well,” said Tombazis. “I know Ross has made similar comments.

“We feel that DRS is the right thing to have in the present state of things.

“For 2021 we hope that the cars will be much more able to follow each other closely, and it will be a really nice outcome if we can severely decrease DRS in the future, or even eliminate it.

“But until we get in a position where we are comfortable enough with the wake performance and how cars can follow each other, I think it’s something that I would perhaps call a necessary evil at the moment.”

Tombazis is confident that a more powerful DRS will have a positive impact on racing ahead of 2021.

“The DRS effect will increase by approximately 25-30%,” he said.

“The delta of the drag of the car when it opens the DRS and deploys it to current will be bigger, so the delta of speed of the following car will be bigger by that amount as a result.

“Hence the probability that approaching the front car will increase.”

FIA race director Charlie Whiting firmly stated that the aim was not to make overtaking easier, but to make it more effective in other locations.