Formula 1 has been thinking about introducing a ban on the use of the DRS system in qualifying, and this measure could affect Red Bull Racing in particular.
The weekend at Spa showed once again the importance of this system, which works much more efficiently on the RB19 than on rival cars.
According to the German publication Auto Motor und Sport, in order to somehow curb the dominance of the Milton Keynes team, it may be decided to ban the use of DRS in qualifying.
The Belgian weekend included a sprint on Saturday, so qualifying took place on Friday, and at Spa, with its long straights, Max Verstappen won pole by 0.820 seconds over Charles Leclerc. However, the gearbox of the Dutchman’s car was then replaced, causing him to lose five starting places, which did not prevent him from winning the race.
But on Saturday, in qualifying for the sprint, DRS could not be used as the track was still partly wet. In these conditions Max was still the fastest, but he was only 0.011 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri, who showed the 2nd fastest time.
A more detailed comparison of the results of Friday’s qualifying final and Saturday’s “shootout” shows this difference even more clearly. Leclerc set his best lap on Saturday 2.3 seconds slower than Friday, while Carlos Sainz, who finished third in qualifying for the sprint, was 1.9 seconds slower.
Piastri, whose car was tuned for more downforce, lost 1.7 seconds from Friday, but Verstappen and Pérez were 2.9 seconds slower without DRS. And this suggests that on certain circuits, especially like Spa with its long straights, this system has a significant impact on qualifying results. Although its main purpose is to facilitate overtaking.
But even if the FIA and Formula 1 are hatching plans to introduce a ban on the use of DRS in qualifying, it is unlikely to happen as early as this season. Moreover, we are in any case only talking about qualifying and this measure will have little effect on the balance of power in the races. In addition, Red Bull Racing’s advantage on Sunday is largely due to the fact that the RB19 allows drivers to save tires very efficiently.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
