Longer second DRS zone for Indian Grand Prix

2012 Indian Grand Prix

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The second of the two DRS zones at the Buddh International Circuit will be extended for the Indian Grand Prix.

During the race drivers will be able to open DRS 80 metres earlier than they could last year on the track’s longest straight.

The DRS zone on the start/finish straight will remain unchanged, as will the two detection points at the exit of the penultimate corner and on the approach to turn three.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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15 comments on “Longer second DRS zone for Indian Grand Prix”

  1. Profile Photo

    AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
    24th October 2012, 13:59

    Weird how the activation points are so different. I know the start/finish straight is shorter but even looking at it relatively, they’re completely different.

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      BasCB (@bascb)
      24th October 2012, 15:52

      The part where DRS can be used are almost the same length though.

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    Osvaldas31 (@osvaldas31)
    24th October 2012, 14:06

    Why 2 DRS zones. One is enough and it won’t make race interesting anyway, because it’s Tilkedrome (though one of the best Tilke’s tracks). But why Tilke thinks that only huge straight can only make race an interesting affair?

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      petebaldwin (@)
      24th October 2012, 15:15

      I know it’s the ‘done thing’ to say Tilke’s tracks are rubbish but it does have to be said, the 3 best races so far this year according to the poll on here are Valencia, China and Malaysia…. The bottom 3 are Korea, Monaco and Hungary.

      I know Tilke’s tracks lack the history and feel of some of the ‘classic’ GPs but saying that the race won’t be interesting because it’s on a Tilke track is rubbish.

      IMO, the worst track on the calendar is Valencia and that has arguably given us the best race so far this year!

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        Mallesh Magdum (@malleshmagdum)
        24th October 2012, 17:40

        +1

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    DaveF1 (@davef1)
    24th October 2012, 14:32

    I really hope this works and improves the race. Not too sure about them making the second zone longer, but we’ll see.

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    Bob (@bobthevulcan)
    24th October 2012, 14:38

    An interesting change. If the lengthened DRS zone bunches the cars up enough going into Turn 4, we could see more attempts on the straight leading to Turn 5, maybe?

    Also, what are the odds that we’ll see overtakes in the first DRS zone undone in the second DRS zone?

    1. Dizzy
      24th October 2012, 16:15

      We already saw that happen a few times last year so with a longer 2nd zone I expect it to be even more likely.

      While not a fan of DRS I actually think it worked well in 2011, Made passing possible but for the most part wasn’t making it too easy, I don’t feel any change was really needed.

      1. Dizzy
        24th October 2012, 16:16

        That’s the passing in zone 1 been undone in zone 2 i was on about BTW.

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          sato113 (@sato113)
          24th October 2012, 20:35

          no. think of zone 1 as a chance to catch up. then more overtaking in zone 2 as a result.

          1. Dizzy
            24th October 2012, 22:33

            But as I said, couple examples from last year where a DRS pass in zone 1 was simply undone in DRS zone 2.

            Also zone 1 to catch-up never really worked last year as by the time they had gone through the 1st few corners & were accelerating out of turn 3 the car behind was just as far behind as it was entering the 1st DRS zone.

  5. Dave_E
    24th October 2012, 16:14

    I think based off how DRS worked last year extending it is a bad move.

    Looking back at last year’s race, The passing done in the DRS zone was for the most part about how it should be with the DRS getting cars alongside but not easily all the way past. There was a few examples where DRS made things far too easy but more where it didn’t.

    Extending the DRS zone will likely now shift the balance to the point where there is more of the easy passing & less of the passing where DRS works like it was supposed to.

    I think there starting to lose sight of how DRS was supposed to work, It wasn’t supposed to make passing too easy, It was simply supposed to help get cars alongside & allow good wheel to wheel racing into the braking zone so that the actual pass had to be completed by the outbraking skills of the drivers

    There have been examples this year where the DRS zones have been altered purely to generate passing rather than to simply assist it. Korea was a good example, In 2011 the DRS zone worked to just get cars alongside, The longer zone in 2012 was allowing cars to simply easily drive straight by way before the braking zone.

  6. Profile Photo

    Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
    24th October 2012, 16:40

    Red Bull may be under threat from behind if they can’t pull out a gap on the cars behind. I’m expecting a Red Bull pole but whether or not they can pull out a gap remains to be seen. If Sebatsian’s on pole I expect him to be able to do just that however.

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