Massa: “We should only have DRS on one straight”

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

Posted on

| Written by

Felipe Massa, Ferrari, Melbourne, 2011

Felipe Massa says he does not want drivers to be allowed to use the Drag Reduction System on both of Sepang’s long straights.

Writing on the Ferrari website, Massa said: “For the moment, the plan is to be allowed to use DRS during the race on the straight in front of the pits.

“But at Sepang, the straight that runs back the other way is actually longer. It is also true that it would offer a higher chance of overtaking.

“So we are waiting for the final decision from the FIA to see if we use DRS on the front straight, the back one or both. The right decision could make the race more interesting for drivers and the spectators too.

“Personally, I am not sure that allowing DRS on both straights is the best option, because I think it might actually make overtaking too easy. You have to get the right balance between helping the chances of overtaking and having almost too much passing.

“At Sepang, the two straights follow one another, so if you are quicker than the car ahead, you might not even try and pass on the first straight, preferring to get well prepared and as close as possible, before then having a simple overtaking move on the second straight.”

Massa added he hopes to get a good result this weekend which he can dedicate to his friend Gustavo Sondermann, who was killed in a Brazilian Stock Car crash at Interlagos on Sunday:

“I wish to express my great sadness at the death of Gustavo Sondermann, killed as a result of a terrible accident which happened last Sunday at Interlagos, during a pick-up race, run as part of the Brazilian Stock Car championship.

“I knew him well and our fathers are friends: I feel great pain at his loss and definitely, all my thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time.

“It would be nice if I could get a good result next Sunday in Malaysia which I could dedicate to him.”

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix


    Browse all 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix articles

    Image © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo

    Author information

    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...

    Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

    92 comments on “Massa: “We should only have DRS on one straight””

    1. I hope Massa takes us on from that thrilling first stint in AUS and gain some places with it this time for a stunning race.

      1. My cynical side says that this comes from Massa being afraid he has to defend his position in different places around the track and thus racing becomes much more stressful for him. If his car was more performant, I would expect his position would be a bit more aggressive

        1. Button may feel differently ;)

        2. I second that.
          I think, he started to realise, he cannot hang on to that ferrari job.

    2. “At Sepang, the two straights follow one another, so if you are quicker than the car ahead, you might not even try and pass on the first straight, preferring to get well prepared and as close as possible, before then having a simple overtaking move on the second straight.”

      Exactly.

      1. What about put the DRS zone in the 800M’s at the end of the 1st straight and the start of the second, including the hair pin.

        The driver has to make their own decision when to de-activaite it and start it again. If there ahead going into the hair pin, the other driver can activaite his? Or something, complex yes, better racing, I’d like to think so.

        It’ll also make it harder for the more predatory overtakers, see Alonso and Button, to just clean up down the pit straight. An probably force the more “have a go overtakers” see Hamilton and Kobayashi to think a little differently.

        What I’m scared will happen is if the DRS zone’s on the pit straight the chasing car can attempt the overtake round the hairpin then DRS off. I think if it’s on the back straight we’ll see more battles as the leader will have a fighting chance down the pit straight.

        1. Im gonna throw this out there: Step back and read what you have just said, and ask yourself whether your proposal is putting too much focus on what driver can activate the DRS (still confused with that acronym, cricket part of me doesnt like it) at which point, rather than the act of passing itself? Personally thats what I think.

          Hopefully the DRS – like the mandotary weight distribution – is just a stop gap and is discarded in 2013.

          1. Well we’ve got the system, an they seem to be employing it as a leveller for the following car so no I don’t think so. The following driver gets the speed boost to make up for the dirty air effect, the lead driver has to be a capable deffensive driver, like Massa was, smart use of KERS also helps. I think the system has potential, an could be far better than I initially thought.

        2. I’d like to see a situation where IF they do allow the DRS use on both straights and the pursuing driver gets overtaken on the first straight or in the hairpin, then he would be allowed to use his DRS on the 2nd straight and the car which did the overtaking isn’t.

      2. Then driving up the back of that Lotus, doing a 180 vertical pirouette and landing safe and sound on your lid… ;)

        #cynical ;)

    3. It’s not like Massa is gonna do much overtaking anyway… Or is he worried that he himself shall fall victim on several occassions?

      1. Nail, Head, Hit.
        As much as I like Massa he tends to some how get in the way / front of faster cars / drivers.

        1. He only has enough Kers to defend on one of the straights.

          1. He was using his Kers very carefully around Melbourne, especially to defend against Buttons DRS. He was saving it for the pit straight, it ment he could keep Button behind him but he was even slower.

            Massa doesn’t seem to think about his race when defending a position, he just goes all out. Suppose this would make him a better number 2 if only he could make usefull positions a little more regularly. Probably would have won him Germany if team orders didn’t come into play.

            1. Very, very true… good use of KERS

            2. Yeah, like Button didn’t have KERS.

              The point is that indeed Massa had only one place where he needed to defend. He “cleverly” preserved his KERS for that spot.

    4. Fred Schechter
      5th April 2011, 15:42

      DRS has been an ultimate failure out of the gate to me.
      If you can’t use a system on a car, why have it?!
      KERs is designed to be limited by storage density (which it,, kind of is (another place another time)) but to have this sort of change in vehicle dynamics in only a single place, just feels silly, and a waste of the driver’s focus.
      His, and other driver’s frustration is totally understandable. For that matter, RedBull won WITHOUT KERS. Make these systems meaningful, or don’t bother to have them spend the money to develop them. Otherwise you’re wasting their money, and not earning anything new and interesting for the show outside of maybe a marketing point here or there. It’s not making the difference it should. It’s really too bad.

      1. probably a bit too early to judge DRS. the straight at Melbourne is very short compared to Sepang. I think/hope it will be more effective this weekend.

        i was wondering if DRS was contributing to tyre degradation? it changes the balance of the car, and must have some effect on tyre temperature and pressure too.

        At Melbourne Webber seemed to shred his tyres much faster than Vettel did. i was thinking it may have been because webber had more chance to use DRS?

    5. This whole debate about what areas are designated DRS zones shows that the rule is inherently flawed.

      Each track is going to be a case by case basis and some of them are going to be tricky. Can anyone tell me where the best place for it in Monaco is? Other tracks have more than one ideal area, and only choosing one zone reduces overtaking in the other area because drivers will prefer the DRS zone. At Spa that could mean no overtaking attempts at the Bus-stop (assuming the straight after Eau Rouge is used), and the back straight before the Parabolica at Monza could be deemed useless.

      1. Can anyone tell me where the best place for it in Monaco is?

        The tunnel, though it is far from ideal.

        1. Tunnel’s probably too curved, I suspect the drivers might prefer the downforce, don’t know if anywhere’s really safe in Monaco.

          Expect an enourmous number of crashes in free practice and qualifying I reckon.

          1. I doubt that, surely the drivers aren’t so stupid that if they notice someone crash in whilst using the DRS they’d not change their own approach, instead of coming to grief one after another, lemming style. Though that would be funny

            1. Never underestimate the lemming-capabilities of formula one drivers. I’ve seen too many go off track at the exact same spot over the course of a weekend .. or just a few laps even when warned about the probems there.

            2. I suppose the best F1 example would be at Turn 1 in the 2007 German GP! But some rally drivers are far more lemming like! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiIYEmpWaaQ

            3. PRehaps not but there are just so many places to crash in Monaco, so many short straights and tight corners. An if the DRS adds performance they’ll use it, an if the persistant greif drivers were comming to in Australia is anything to go by, Monaco could be a prang fest. Remember Sutil’s spin in Aus, I forsee a hell of a lot of that.

            4. Also, despite drivers the drivers lemmingy natures, an it’s definatley present, if a driver thinks he knows the line, he’s sure he knows the line. The change in the cars dynamics caused by the DRS, an the bumpy nature of the circuit could make the cars hellishly unstable, an there’s no where you’d like to be unstable less. So even if the drivers really do learn from each others experiances, probably won’t help. Carbon fibre suppliers should be salviating.

          2. Several weeks ago I asked where on earth they would put the ‘passing zone’ at Monaco. I could only think of the tunnel (which seemed an unsafe idea) or up the hill from St Devote towards the Casino Square, but I wasn’t sure that was actually 600 metres . . .
            Maybe they won’t have a zone at Monaco at all.

            1. Perhaps they should be inventive and have it available for the whole lap except for the tunnel (on safety grounds)!

        2. Tunnel is bad for overtaking, off the racing line there are too many marbles.

          Was it Sato who skidded and crashed out when trying to get out of the way of a faster car in the tunnel??

          1. Kimi once lost it when going in a straight line, it’s a pretty treacherous part of the circuit.

          2. Alonso and Schumacher crashed in the tunnel as well (both thanks to Williams drivers).

      2. and only choosing one zone reduces overtaking in the other area because drivers will prefer the DRS zone

        The only race so far this year had several overtaking attempts/overtakes at other corners besides the FFW zone. Turn 11 on the outside, turn 3 and 4 to mention a few.

        Your statement will be accurate for tracks that have virtually zero overtaking areas, but then adding one to those tracks couldn’t be a bad thing could it?

      3. Fred Schechter
        5th April 2011, 19:00

        Agreed David, the technology sounds clever, but when we really overlay the rule to the tracks we have, and combine limiting it to the longest straight (which to me is simply ridiculous, the wing has an effect from 40mph or so and up! run it everywhere!)
        There are only a few tracks that breaking from a long straight really provide distinct opportunities, Nurburgring, KL, Brazil type tracks have a big front stretch, but that’s pretty much it (ok, KL has the front and back side). Basically, you’re looking at something a bunch of expense (and already a disqualification,, poor Sauber) for a highly limited piece of kit. Sad,
        I weep for the rules makers.

        I still think things like longer pit stops, fewer people in the pits, individual stalls (monaco,, I know, but there’s a way to do it, ask Indycar/Nascar/AuzzieV8’s). Provide excitement!

        You want fun video gaming of the system (Bernie I’m looking at you). Make it something that really equals the field. Double file restarts anyone (all Americans giggle). Even crazier,, standing restarts!!! (That’d be wonderfully crazy) and even a lucky dog. Things like this would really shuffle the show without added cost.
        Give the drivers just 1 real tech tool to fiddle with (they’ve already got too many on the dash). Why not pump up the KERS option and limit the fuel load available, high tech, useful green technology with room to improve, and no decrease in engine displacement, all the noise, slightly more fun. Crazily enough, some of it could even trickle to a road car!

        Oy..

        1. I don’t mind the drivers having lots to deal with. The good ones will make fewer mistakes with it.

          When drivers had to change gear with a lever you occasionally saw missed gear changes and overtakes as a result.

          Personally I think they should let them use the DRS anywhere they like. If the driver messes up the application of it, that gives their rival a chance to pass – just like missing a gear.

      4. The start finish “straight” is about 800 meters. With a slow chicane ahead of it it might be a perfect spot for DRS.

        1. I’m pretty sure that you’re not allowed to overtake in the tunnel anyway due to the dark/light combo blinding the drivers!

          1. eeer, I don’t think the FIA’s taken steps to ban overtaking yet… still could be a step. ;)

            (under green flags obviously)

    6. Im not exactly sure of the ruling but having it on both straights could be good. A car gets passed on the first straight, then he ducks back in the tow and uses DRS on the following straight to hit straight back.

      1. Then there would also need to be two timing sections otherwise the driver who was passed would not be able to use it.

    7. Here is the problem with DRS and the start finish straight. If you’re trying to overtake a car with KERS, the moment they pass the start finish line they get all the KERS power back.

      In Oz, when watching Massa onboard with Button behind I was pretty certain he was just holding the KERS button down the entire straight when Button was close. So Button couldn’t get past.

      The obvious thing to do is just to make sure that the DRS + KERS recharge point are not co-located. KERS recharge point could easily be put half way round the track in a twisty bit per example.

      1. As you get a set amount of KERS a lap I don’t think this is true, it’s just up to the driver to use what they get wisely.

        An while they both get there KERS back by the start finish, it tends to be too late if you’ve already built up the extra speed by using KERS at the begining of a straight where it’s most effective.

        Massa’s use of KERS saved him the position, Button’s faliure to save his KERS for the straight, an complete failure to understand what was going on “how he getting away like that” and do something about it ruined his race. That’s just one driver out thinking another, an I’m very happy for such battles to continue.

    8. Personally, I am not sure that allowing DRS on both straights is the best option, because I think it might actually make overtaking too easy.

      He’s both right and wrong. Beong the two straights very near, one driver could reduce the gap significantly on the first and pass the other driver on the second. But if a driver passed another on the first, the other driver could re-pass him on the second, making a wonderful battle. This might sadly bring drivers to refuse overtaking on the first straight and just prepare their attacks in the last turn.

    9. The fact that we have to discuss just how many teaspoons of sugar to put in our racing means we should not even have this blasted DRS. If it’s the best possible brew, its best to take it black.

      Massa is right, and he brings up this outragous scenario where right now, as we all speak/type, some band of FIA bureaucrates are sitting down with a map and deciding just how much overtaking the next race should have, to their particular taste. How do they know they got it right—by the TV ratings?

    10. Cluffy_Wedge
      5th April 2011, 16:56

      I thought it was perfectly fine in Melbourne, if it was stronger we wouldn’t have had that awesome duel between Massa and Button. It didn’t automatically let Button past, but it managed to keep him on Massa’s tail for ages, whereas before he would have probably just slowly dropped back as his tyres started to overheat. If there’s no skill in overtaking there’s no entertainment in overtaking, that’s what I think.

    11. I don’t think anyone will need DRS to get past Massa this weekend.

      Felipe Baby… Everyone. Is faster. Than you.

      1. Sorry to pick on you tdtd, because you’re by no means the only person who’s used this quote in the past few months, but the Smedley quote and all of its variations ceased to be funny a long time ago…

        1. Perhaps in your case. I found it a little amusing.

        2. Little bit grouchy today (yesterday?) Ned.

          1. No, I felt rude saying it, but the Massa jokes are getting pretty boring now!

            1. I’m not offended. ;)

              I still think it’s funny.

            2. They’re so overused, that they are not funny anymore.

    12. Put the detection zone before the back straight, with the DRS zone being before the final hairpin. that way a driver could overtake down the back straight and then have to defend from a, closer non-DRS, counter attack down the front straight.

    13. I still think DRS should be available at any time during the lap, both as it is in qualifying now and in the race as well. Although, I’ll settle for what Massa doesn’t want — both straights at Sepang.

      As for KERS, I think it’s going to be a bigger factor in the middle of the season when teams have had time to develop their cars further. If McLaren gets theirs working perfectly for Sepang, Red Bull probably can’t afford to run without it. That will probably be the case for more and more teams as the season progresses.

      1. I agree. They managed to use the F-Duct safely last year and that required many drivers to take 1 hand off the wheel.

        If you’re going to let them have moveable aero, go the whole hog and let the drivers decide when to use it.

        1. But the reason the F-duct was banned was for safety reasons, right?

          1. The reason the F-Duct was unsafe was the 1 handed thing and the various other things the teams might have started using the tech for, changing the cars aero characteristics from inside the cockpit could have got very dangerous.

            I think the reason the DRS isn’t totaly available during the race is it wouldn’t change anything, they wanted it as an equaliser between the following and leading car to balance out the effect of dirty air.

    14. For sure he’s right.

    15. If Massa writes about it, it is probably a serious possibility to have two areas, no?

      I really hope they just have one area!

    16. For me DRS is not designed to pass a competitive car for position, but to pass a car you are faster than but are blocked due to a pit stop.

    17. Typical Ferrari drivers comments, they either whinge about something that doesn’t suit them or gloat and make smug comments when things go their way.

      The only reason Felipe doesn’t want it to be used on both straight is because his race pace is so dog trollop that he’ll be screwed over twice a lap!

      1. Laranja Mecanica
        6th April 2011, 0:49

        Typical blind Ferrari-hater comment, finding fault in everything Ferrari *yawn*

    18. The DRS was designed so it would counteract the loss of downforce created by the air flow coming off the car in front. That being the case then the drivers should be able to use it all around the track if they are within the right time gap. This will create drivers trying overtakes at lots of places around the track not just one.

      1. Agree, use it anywhere…..

    19. Personally, I am not sure that allowing DRS on both straights is the best option

      1: I’ve not heard anyone say this is an option
      2: Since DRS de-activates when you hit the brakes, I’m not sure it’s even possible, given there is only one timing loop

      So what’s Massa on about? It’s a strange day for Ferrari quotes.

      1. To be fair, if there were two overtaking zones you’d assume they’d put in a second timing loop, for example just before the braking point for the hairpin.

      2. Corrections Dept
        6th April 2011, 0:06

        Nevermind fair, let’s try for accurate, FIA timing is made up of dozens of timing loops every few hundred yards all the way round the track, only 3 sectors-worth being displayed on live timing, but teams and race control having access to all the individual zones.

        You would have seen the timing update, loop by loop, not sector by sector, on the FOM TV timing crawl at the Australian Grand Prix.

        There is no DRS timing loop, they just use the pre-existing loop nearest where they want to start the DRS zone.

        1. 2 DRS zones with 2 timing loops could be cool.

        2. In the rules there is only room for one official DRS loop. granted they have the power to change it, but this has only ever been mentioned in relation to the size of the zone and the timing gap.

        3. Yes, I am aware that there are timing loops all around the track. I assumed that my comment was clear but apparently not:
          …you’d assume they’d put in a second timing loop at which the DRS could be activated, for example just before the braking point for the hairpin.

          1. Corrections Dept
            6th April 2011, 14:36

            Who was I replying to?

            Go on look at the threading again, was I correcting you, or was I correcting the person that the actual post was in response to.

            Really, no need for acting all “I am aware”, “I assumed”, “comment was clear”, “apparently not” passively aggressive internet butt-hurt. Settle down.

            1. Sorry, I did indeed fail to realise that you were replying to the original post, my mistake. No hard feelings!

    20. He’s only saying that because he’s a frickin’ slow driver. He’ll be the one overtaken.

    21. I have to admit, I like DRS, but primarily because I think it looks awesome when the wings are flicking open down the track.

      1. hahaha lol.
        THIS

    22. I really can’t see the FIA designating two DRS zones this weekend. I think stretching it beyond 600m on one straight is fair enough, but on two that’s just silly. Massa has a point, it will make over-taking a bit on the simple side.

    23. I absolutely don’t like DRS – particularly the fact that the car ahead cannot use it when it is being overtaken? Why bother about being the pinnacle of car racing and then bog yourself down with such frivolous rules to enhance the show?

      Let the drivers use all the available technologies at their disposal to race at all points on the track (of course, not speeding at 300 kmph through pitlane).

    24. it is stupid in my eyes regulating where you can and cant use the drs. let the driver be in control, we would see some exciting decisions especially on tracks like sepang where there is two big straights. let the drivers choose, its not as though there going to use it on the corners and wipe everyone out.

      1. they should give them a usage allowance per lap.

        1. I agree with this completely, let the drivers activate the DRS 2-3 times at any place on the track.

    25. If I had already bought my grandstand ticket overlooking the straight leading into the last hairpin, and if the FIA decided to designate the start finish straight as the “passing zone / DRS zone”, I’d be mighty annoyed.

    26. Does it strike anyone else here as mind-blowingly depressing that we’re even having a discussion as absurd as this? It’s supposed to be racing, people! Racing!

      1. Agree.

        The more time the DRS is discussed the more I dislike it.

        The fact its constantly having to be tweaked & were likely to have ‘Passing Zone’ discussions each race shows the DRS isn’t a good thing for F1.

        One thing I found annoying at Melbourne was that while trying to watch a nice little scrap between 2 cars (Button/Massa for instance) there was a ton of focus put on KERS & the DRS. I want to watch a race & not have to think about who’s got how much KERS & who can open a letterbox & where.

        If we start to see these factors become too important with too much focus having to be put on them, I think its just going to start taking away from the racing a bit & I see that as a bad thing.

    27. Massa’s clearly only saying this because the only “useful” tool he has left in his bag of tricks, is his ability to defend a position. Which in turn slows him down. I like Massa, but he’s clearly not the driver we all (or at least I) thought him to be in 2008.

      As for the DRS. Why shouldn’t it be in more than one place? Why not test it on two and see what that creates? Even better yet, why not let everyone use it everywhere. It wouldn’t necessarily provide overtaking, but it could alter the field a bit, with people wanting to be a bit more daring with their moves (Sutil in Qualifying for example).

      The DRS will be a good tool I think, and will never become “over-effective”. However, if the FIA are only interested in making “the show” better, then why not have a big button on the steering wheel entitled the “Go-faster button”, allowing the engine to super-charge (using solar energy of course, being green and all that), this causes flames to come out of the back, which is more exciting for people who are just starting to watch F1.

      I don’t know why I ranted like that, I’m not even too bothered about the ever-changing F1, I just felt left out :P

    28. i think DRS should be use on all circuits,on the whole lenghs of the circuit as KERS!that wa fun race!

    29. ps.that would be a fun race!i dont know why it came that way the phrase!

    30. If they are planning to have DRS on one piece of track then as Massa said have it on the back straight & the distance for the whole length of the straight.Having it on both the straight will produce some artificial racing.

    31. Here’s an idea: run a DRS simulation for the final half hour of both Friday practice sessions. Make the main straight the DRS zone in FP1, then make both straight the zone in FP2 and assess from there.

      1. Seems like a logical approach to me. Can’t see it getting the light of day though.

    32. ok, i’m gonna be a complete *** and say that it’s no surprise that Massa says that, cause it’s been a while since I’ve last saw him successfully defend a position

      1. Melbourne 2011 ring any bells?

        Button had to drive off the track! Ok, he lost out to Alonso just after, but still…

        Oh and he held Alonso up for long enough in Hockenheim last year. So much so Ferrari had to resort to the old team orders game.

    33. Buuu-Hoooo Massa… Ferrari should have only good drivers in the lineup… why are you there. Jesus christ..

    34. Since they won’t be able to use DRS in a wet race, the whole discussion is probably moot anyway.

    Comments are closed.