Latest news with #overtaking
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
What is DRS in Formula 1?
DRS in Formula 1 stands for Drag Reduction System - a device controlled via the steering wheel that allows drivers to increase speed and pressing the DRS button, a flap on the car's rear wing opens, reducing drag by allowing air to flow through the can only be used in designated zones on circuits, primarily along straights. These zones are determined by detection points.A driver must be within one second of the car in front at the detection point in order to use DRS, which helps drivers overtake and escape the 'dirty air' created by the car is only available in dry conditions and is disabled during wet system - first introduced in 2011 - was implemented to increase the chances of on-track are notified via their steering wheel display when DRS is practice sessions and qualifying, DRS can be used freely within the activation zones to help set faster lap number of DRS zones varies by circuit - for example, Monaco has just one, while the Australian Grand Prix features four. What will happen to DRS in 2026? DRS will be removed in 2026 as part of new Formula 1 all cars will be able to activate a low-drag mode on straights at any time, regardless of proximity to another separate power-boost modes will replace DRS on the steering wheel.'Z-mode' opens elements on the front and rear wings to increase downforce and speed through can switch to 'X-mode', which reduces drag to maximise straight-line modes will be available in specific zones around each track and can be activated manually by the driver. 'It was only ever meant to be a temporary solution' The idea behind the DRS overtaking aid was to create a sticking-plaster solution to the problem created by aerodynamics in is, make the car's performance dependent on downforce, and overtaking will always be hard because the disruption to the airflow over a car behind another reduces its grip and makes it hard to follow was meant to simulate a slipstream - a straight-line advantage to the car behind - and the plan was to make overtaking possible, not to balance those demands has not always been easy - sometimes overtaking has been too easy; sometimes it still was only ever meant to be a temporary solution. And when the current regulations were conceived, the hope was that it could be discarded, because following would be a lot easier. It became apparent even before they were introduced in 2022 that would not be the another rule-set has forced another solution. But it's not because DRS hasn't worked; it's because the rear wing opening has had to be added to the front wing doing something similar to balance the energy demands of the new cars with their new hybrid 2026, there will be a 'push-to-pass' system that gives an extra boost of electrical energy for the car behind. It's arguably even more artificial than DRS, and whether it will work is far from the only question hanging over the new rules. What have the drivers said? There were mixed views from F1 drivers about the new regulations when they were announced last summer."I have spoken to some drivers who have driven it on the simulator - I haven't - and they said it's pretty slow so we will see if it's the right direction or not," said Lewis Hamilton at a drivers' news conference in 2024. "We have just got to make sure the cars are efficient, fast and a step forwards and actually racing is improved."McLaren's Lando Norris said: "I guess there are reasons for it but I don't want it to go the opposite way. Especially with how complicated it is."You could have massive gaps and then people are going to say it's boring again. Right now it is as exciting as it has been for a very long time."This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered... What are penalty points in F1 and how do they work?How does Formula 1 points scoring work?How does F1 measure photo finishes?
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Hildenborough cyclist says she does not feel safe riding in Kent
A cyclist from Kent says she does not feel safe riding on the county's roads as a charity says a record number of people are reporting to police being overtaken too safety charity IAM RoadSmart says the numbers of cyclists who submitted video footage of poor driving to police also doubled from 7,249 in 2021 to 15,779 in 2024More than half of motorists admit they do not know how much space to leave when overtaking, the charity Alice Thomas, from Hildenborough, said: "I don't feel safe cycling in Kent, I lived in London for 10 years and I felt safer cycling there than I do here - drivers get so annoyed and overtake very closely." IAM RoadSmart says data shows the number of reports leading to the serving of a notice of intended prosecution rose from 38% in 2021 to 54% in a third of people say they do not cycle because they think it is too dangerous, the charity to the Department for Transport, 87 pedal cyclists were killed in Great Britain in 2023, while 3,942 were reported to be seriously injured and 10,970 slightly injured. Ms Thomas told BBC Radio Kent: "I always see arguments between cyclists and drivers online, comment sections, radio phone-ins, but other countries aren't like that, they all work together, it feels like a real conflict here." 'Cyclists are human beings' The Highway Code, which was updated in 2022, recommends that drivers gave cyclists at least 1.5m (5ft) of space - about the width of a compact car - when overtaking at speeds of up to 30mph (48kmh).Ms Thomas says: "There's a big narrative between cyclists and drivers hating each other, which is crazy because the majority of cyclists are drivers as well."So it's not one or the other, cyclists are human beings. "I'm a mother of two young boys and I always just think, I want to be able to go home safely to my sons."
Daily Telegraph
30-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
F1 2025: ‘Impossible' overtaking problem and ‘gimmick' that can't fix it
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. There's no way around it, Formula One has an overtaking problem. Monaco's place on the F1 calendar once again came under question last weekend, with a mandatory second pit stop failing to shake-up the race. Monaco is the jewel in F1's crown but it's difficult to escape the reality that the race on Sunday is a dull procession decided by Saturday's qualifying session — the most important of the year. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. 'At a place like Monaco it's just you might as well have the race Saturday in qualifying and then park up for Sunday because it's impossible to pass,' Supercars legend Mark Skaife told But it's not just Monaco where F1 is confronted with its biggest dilemma. Max Verstappen's gutsy lunge past Oscar Piastri on the first lap at Imola was impressive for its bravery, but also necessary given the rest of the race became more about tyre management than overtaking opportunities. F1 has a big overtaking problem. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Overtaking is nearly impossible in the current cars, which are 2 metres wide. Under F1's new regulations for 2026, F1 cars will be 100mm narrower as part of an effort to make the cars smaller and more agile. 'The cars are so big now, that's the issue,' Skaife said. 'If you look through the history of Formula One, the cars were comparatively really small. 'Through the modern era of car changes, the hybrid era and through the physicality of the cars, an unintended consequence has been the cars have become so large. 'It was even apparent at Imola. It's a traditional racecourse with grass verges and all that stuff. You could tell straight away at Imola without the extreme nature of Monaco that the cars being so big is a real issue for the overtaking. 'Obviously that then puts the emphasis on qualifying being paramount to success.' Michael Schumacher's old Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello agrees, telling PokerStrategy: 'With Piastri and Norris, it's an open competition between the two and Piastri has the upper hand. 'Whoever gets on pole of the race has a 51 per cent chance of winning with their car. They spend most of their time practising race starts, because it's so important to get in front.' F1 is a business, but quality of racing is paramount F1 has never been more popular and is a commercial behemoth right now, valued at $US 17 billion ($26 billion). This week F1 unveiled another major sponsor in Pepsi, complete with an unexpected Daniel Ricciardo sighting. But Skaife believes the quality of racing is not as good as it could be, highlighting the choice of circuits on the F1 calendar as a major dilemma. 'As rule makers, one of the intentions should be that the quality of your racing is tantamount to the success of the game,' the five-time Supercars champion said. 'So you've got all the personalities, you've got all the car brands, you've got Cadillac/General Motors coming, you've got Audi coming next year. 'The sport is in great shape. But one of the things that I'm sure the powers-that-be would be considering is what do the cars look like in five years' time and what do you need to change? 'Because you can't change the infrastructure. You can't just go and fix Monaco tomorrow. It is impossible to overtake on Monaco's street circuit. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / POOL / AFP) 'And you can't fix a lot of the traditional circuits. I know there's been a lot of controversy about this in recent times, but I'm a real fan of the really hardcore proper car racing tracks. 'Places like Spa. There's a lot of conjecture about whether Spa will end up being knocked on the head. 'And places like Suzuka, there's so many really cool racetracks. 'Verstappen and the drivers were talking about Imola being a really cool little racetrack and it is. 'So you've always got this complex nature of who's prepared to pay, what market are you in?Where do you go? 'Miami now has a long-term contract. There's always been a difficulty for Formula One to get into the US market and clearly they're pushing hard with that. 'So when you then think about it from a business perspective, you are still a car racing business and the car racing is the pinnacle of world motorsport. 'There will be a lot of discussion around what the cars look like in the future and how do you make the racing as good as it can be, especially from an overtaking perspective.' The McLaren driver that dominates qualifying will likely win the F1 championship. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The F1 calendar is in a state of flux for next year, with several European circuits including Imola in Italy and Spa in Belgium set to be ditched from the schedule as part of a rotating policy. Piastri has said it would be a shame for the iconic tracks to disappear from the calendar. 'It's a great circuit,' Piastri said of Imola earlier this month. 'I've only raced here once before, but it's definitely towards the top end of my favourites. 'OK, maybe it's not the best track to race on — not the best for overtaking — but in terms of the ultimate experience of driving an F1 car, this is at the top of the list. We need to be mindful of that. 'Having two races in the same country, with how many bids we have from around the world, maybe doesn't make that much sense anymore. And when you have Monza as your second race in Italy, it's pretty hard not to go to Monza. There'd be some riots if we didn't! 'So for me, we just need to be careful to preserve the history. Zandvoort is going, Spa is going to be on rotation, which I'm not the happiest about. 'We just need to be careful not to lose these historical tracks.' The iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, Belgium could soon be gone from the F1 calendar. (Photo by Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP) F1 'gimmick' isn't the answer The Drag Reduction System, where the rear wing opens to boost straight-line speed, was introduced into F1 in 2011 in a bid to improve overtaking. But in recent years there have gradually been less memorable overtakes like Ricciardo's trademark dive-bombs or Lewis Hamilton's double overtake at Silverstone in 2022. 'I mean really DRS is a gimmick for overtaking,' Skaife said. 'You've got this system, this aero system, to assist with overtaking if you've actually got cars that can follow each other closely. 'That's was what the mandate of the current regulations were you know everyone was saying 'oh you'll be able to follow more closely'. There are growing calls to make F1 cars smaller. (Photo by) 'But it's essential to have a policy around how much aero the cars have got and how close can you drive behind the car in front. 'Firstly it's about how much downforce you have when you're in the dirty air behind another car. 'That's the core value of being able to overtake another car and have aero efficiency that's good enough in the dirty air to be able to get a run out of a corner, slipstream the car in front, and be able to pass. 'But the other part of it is that the lead car, the car that's in front, has to have enough drag. 'It pays a penalty for leading. So the car behind has less drag, that's the reality of the car in front having to push the air. 'And if you've got less lift to drag ratio, so you actually want more drag on the cars, that would then have an effect of being able to pass on a straight line.' Watch every practice and qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, including the race on Sunday at 11pm AEST on Kayo Sports. Originally published as 'It's impossible': F1's massive problem exposed and 'gimmick' that can't fix it
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
‘It's impossible': F1's massive problem exposed and ‘gimmick' that can't fix it
There's no way around it, Formula One has an overtaking problem. Monaco's place on the F1 calendar once again came under question last weekend, with a mandatory second pit stop failing to shake-up the race. Monaco is the jewel in F1's crown but it's difficult to escape the reality that the race on Sunday is a dull procession decided by Saturday's qualifying session — the most important of the year. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. 'At a place like Monaco it's just you might as well have the race Saturday in qualifying and then park up for Sunday because it's impossible to pass,' Supercars legend Mark Skaife told But it's not just Monaco where F1 is confronted with its biggest dilemma. Max Verstappen's gutsy lunge past Oscar Piastri on the first lap at Imola was impressive for its bravery, but also necessary given the rest of the race became more about tyre management than overtaking opportunities. Overtaking is nearly impossible in the current cars, which are 2 metres wide. Under F1's new regulations for 2026, F1 cars will be 100mm narrower as part of an effort to make the cars smaller and more agile. 'The cars are so big now, that's the issue,' Skaife said. 'If you look through the history of Formula One, the cars were comparatively really small. 'Through the modern era of car changes, the hybrid era and through the physicality of the cars, an unintended consequence has been the cars have become so large. 'It was even apparent at Imola. It's a traditional racecourse with grass verges and all that stuff. You could tell straight away at Imola without the extreme nature of Monaco that the cars being so big is a real issue for the overtaking. 'Obviously that then puts the emphasis on qualifying being paramount to success.' Michael Schumacher's old Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello agrees, telling PokerStrategy: 'With Piastri and Norris, it's an open competition between the two and Piastri has the upper hand. 'Whoever gets on pole of the race has a 51 per cent chance of winning with their car. They spend most of their time practising race starts, because it's so important to get in front.' F1 is a business, but quality of racing is paramount F1 has never been more popular and is a commercial behemoth right now, valued at $US 17 billion ($26 billion). This week F1 unveiled another major sponsor in Pepsi, complete with an unexpected Daniel Ricciardo sighting. But Skaife believes the quality of racing is not as good as it could be, highlighting the choice of circuits on the F1 calendar as a major dilemma. 'As rule makers, one of the intentions should be that the quality of your racing is tantamount to the success of the game,' the five-time Supercars champion said. 'So you've got all the personalities, you've got all the car brands, you've got Cadillac/General Motors coming, you've got Audi coming next year. 'The sport is in great shape. But one of the things that I'm sure the powers-that-be would be considering is what do the cars look like in five years' time and what do you need to change? 'Because you can't change the infrastructure. You can't just go and fix Monaco tomorrow. 'And you can't fix a lot of the traditional circuits. I know there's been a lot of controversy about this in recent times, but I'm a real fan of the really hardcore proper car racing tracks. 'Places like Spa. There's a lot of conjecture about whether Spa will end up being knocked on the head. 'And places like Suzuka, there's so many really cool racetracks. 'Verstappen and the drivers were talking about, you might be a really cool little racetrack and it is. So you've always got this complex nature of who's prepared to pay, what market are you in? 'Where do you go? Miami now has a long-term contract. There's always been a difficulty for Formula One to get into the US market and clearly they're pushing hard with that. 'So when you then think about it from a business perspective, you are still a car racing business and the car racing is the pinnacle of world motorsport. 'There will be a lot of discussion around what the cars look like in the future and how do you make the racing as good as it can be, especially from an overtaking perspective.' The F1 calendar is in a state of flux for next year, with several European circuits including Imola in Italy and Spa in Belgium set to be ditched from the schedule as part of a rotating policy. Piastri has said it would be a shame for the iconic tracks to disappear from the calendar. 'It's a great circuit,' Piastri said of Imola earlier this month. 'I've only raced here once before, but it's definitely towards the top end of my favourites. 'OK, maybe it's not the best track to race on — not the best for overtaking — but in terms of the ultimate experience of driving an F1 car, this is at the top of the list. We need to be mindful of that. 'Having two races in the same country, with how many bids we have from around the world, maybe doesn't make that much sense anymore. And when you have Monza as your second race in Italy, it's pretty hard not to go to Monza. There'd be some riots if we didn't! 'So for me, we just need to be careful to preserve the history. Zandvoort is going, Spa is going to be on rotation, which I'm not the happiest about. 'We just need to be careful not to lose these historical tracks.' F1 'gimmick' isn't the answer The Drag Reduction System, where the rear wing opens to boost straight-line speed, was introduced into F1 in 2011 in a bid to improve overtaking. But in recent years there have gradually been less memorable overtakes like Ricciardo's trademark dive-bombs or Lewis Hamilton's double overtake at Silverstone in 2022. 'I mean really DRS is a gimmick for overtaking,' Skaife said. 'You've got this system, this aero system, to assist with overtaking if you've actually got cars that can follow each other closely. 'That's was what the mandate of the current regulations were you know everyone was saying 'oh you'll be able to follow more closely'. 'But it's essential to have a policy around how much aero the cars have got and how close can you drive behind the car in front. 'Firstly it's about how much downforce you have when you're in the dirty air behind another car. 'That's the core value of being able to overtake another car and have aero efficiency that's good enough in the dirty air to be able to get a run out of a corner, slipstream the car in front, and be able to pass. 'But the other part of it is that the lead car, the car that's in front, has to have enough drag. 'It pays a penalty for leading. So the car behind has less drag, that's the reality of the car in front having to push the air. 'And if you've got less lift to drag ratio, so you actually want more drag on the cars, that would then have an effect of being able to pass on a straight line.'
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
F1 team heads call for Monaco to ‘move with the times' and make track change
Formula One team principals have called for layout changes to be considered at the Monaco Grand Prix to address the inability of cars to overtake after efforts to enliven the race with mandatory pit stops fell flat on Sunday. McLaren's Lando Norris took victory in Monte Carlo and was, despite the two pit-stop rule, in control throughout, Only two passes were made on track in 78 laps and drivers including Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished fourth, and Mercedes' George Russell, who was 11th, dismissed the rule change as all but pointless. The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, believed the most important change that was required was to alter the layout to create one area where overtaking was at least feasible. 'The fundamental problem is you cannot overtake here,' he said. 'The cars are so big now that you just don't have a chance to get alongside. It's circuit specific, we've known that, it's been on the calendar for 72 years. Everything has to move with the times ultimately. 'It's an iconic and historic circuit but if you look at how Monaco has changed, how much land they've reclaimed into the sea, I don't think you'd need to do too much. There just needs to be one area where you can have an overtake and everybody knows that coming here the race was pretty much done on Saturday. We've introduced another dynamic with the pit stop, which, ultimately for the top 10, other than the retirement, nobody really changed position.' READ MORE The race was marked by the leading teams matching each other through the pit stops and the absence of a safety car or red flag to bring an element of chance into proceedings. Further back, teams applied teamwork between drivers to create pit window gaps that involved deliberately driving slowly to the infuriation of others who were left impotent in a train on track. Very few were satisfied with the outcome. Norris said it had created jeopardy by the risk of mere fortune deciding the result rather than in the form of actual racing. 'There's not been any more overtaking here. I thought that was what was wanted,' he said. 'Now you just give people opportunity by luck, by waiting for a red flag, waiting for a safety car. You aren't getting a more deserved winner in the end of things.' The race organisers, the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM), believe that changing the track layout is all but impossible but Norris's team principal, Andrea Stella, suggested it was worth bringing into the equation. 'We should praise that Formula One and the FIA made an attempt to improve racing,' he said. 'The main limitation remains the fact that you cannot overtake and this is quite structural as a limitation. I am not sure exactly how this can be modified just simply by imposing a certain number of pit stops. 'I'm not sure there's anything that can be done from a track layout point of view. I've never thought of this aspect but maybe there's something that we should consider.' In what might be considered an unusual show of solidarity that may make F1 take notice, the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, concurred with his rivals. He suggested that imposing a minimum lap time could be feasible to prevent driving unnecessarily slowly and discussing altering the layout with the organisers. 'What we can look at is to create some more specific regulations that there's a maximum of back-off you can have,' he said. 'Does it improve the overtaking? I don't think that's feasible. We need to talk also with maybe ACM here. Is there anything we can change on the layout, if you could in a city limited by mountains and the sea.' - Guardian
