In higher-performance racing categories, cars depend on downforce produced by aerodynamic bodywork to increase cornering speeds. However, wings create turbulence in the region behind the car. The following car's front wing works less effectively in this turbulent airflow, compromising its cornering performance. By contrast, in categories where downforce is less of a factor — such as NASCAR — the following car benefits from aerodynamic drag reduction through drafting, with little or no effect on cornering. The net effect in high-downforce categories is to make overtaking much more difficult and infrequent, reducing spectator interest. DRS was introduced to address this imbalance.
An adjustable wing was also used by the Nissan DeltaWing at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, though with free usage rather than the restricted conditions applied in Formula One.
In Formula One, DRS opened an adjustable flap on the rear wing to reduce drag, giving a pursuing car an overtaking advantage. The FIA estimated the resulting speed increase at 10–12 km/h (6.2–7.5 mph) by the end of the activation zone, while technical staff at racecar-engineering.com cited a lower figure of 4–5 km/h (2.5–3.1 mph). When deactivated, the flap returns to its closed position, restoring downforce and cornering performance.
Between 2011 and 2023, DRS could only be used during a race after two racing laps had been completed, and after a safety car restart, within designated activation zones defined by the FIA. In 2024, this rule changed to require only one racing lap after a race start or safety car restart.
The number of DRS zones per circuit evolved over the years. In 2011 the FIA added two zones on some circuits with multiple long straights — Valencia and Montreal featured two zones on consecutive straights, while Monza and Buddh had zones on separate parts of the circuit. A second zone was added to Melbourne for the 2012 opening round. Third zones appeared during 2018 and 2019 in Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Austria, Singapore, and Mexico. In 2022 a fourth zone was initially added at Melbourne following circuit redevelopment but was removed for safety reasons, then re-added in 2023. DRS zones at Bahrain, Jeddah, Melbourne, Baku, and Miami were also adjusted in 2022 based on whether DRS was judged to make overtaking too easy or too hard at those venues. A fourth zone was added at Singapore in 2024.
DRS was set to be replaced in Formula One for the 2026 season by an "active aerodynamics" system under new regulations.
The DRS allows the rear wing flap to lift a maximum of 85 millimetres (3.3 in) from the fixed main plane. This reduces drag and downforce. On a straight, where downforce is not needed, this allows faster acceleration and higher potential top speed. Sam Michael, former sporting director of the McLaren team, estimated DRS would be worth approximately half a second per lap in qualifying. The system's effectiveness varies from track to track depending on the level of downforce, the length of the activation zone, and the characteristics of the track immediately after the DRS zone. At low-drag circuits such as Monza, the effects were judged to be smaller.
DRS usage in Formula One was governed by strict conditions. The system was permitted only when both: the following car was within one second of the car ahead at the detection point; and both cars were within a designated DRS zone. Further restrictions applied:
The system could not be activated until after one racing lap from the race start, restart, or safety car deployment. An example of this rule in effect was the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, during which no driver could activate DRS because the entire race ran behind a safety car before being terminated due to bad weather.
The defending driver could not use DRS unless within one second of the car ahead.
The race director could disable DRS in dangerous conditions such as rain, as occurred at the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix.
A dashboard light notified the driver when the system was enabled; it was also visible in the wing mirrors.
Track markings indicated the detection point and activation point, along with a vertical "DRS" sign marking the start of the zone.
The introduction of DRS received a mixed response from fans and drivers. Some viewed it as a solution to the shortage of overtaking in Formula One; others argued it made overtaking too easy and artificial. Juan Pablo Montoya described it as "like giving Picasso Photoshop." Opponents argued that the leading driver could not use DRS to defend, creating an unequal contest. In 2018, Sebastian Vettel stated he preferred throwing bananas Mario Kart-style over the use of DRS, calling it "artificial."
The McLaren P1 coupé was the first road car to incorporate an F1-style rear wing drag reduction system. The McLaren Senna GTR and Porsche 911 (992) GT3 RS subsequently introduced the same system in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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