Double DRS zones again in Abu Dhabi

2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Drivers will have the use of two DRS zones again in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The zones will be located on each of the two longest straights. Each will have separate detection points shortly before the beginning of the activation zones:

2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix DRS zones

2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
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    32 comments on “Double DRS zones again in Abu Dhabi”

    1. Ouch. That’s quite lot of DRS zone. I was hoping they’d leave both of them a wee bit later than that.

      1. I think we’d all rather see too much overtaking than none at all.

        1. “I think we’d all rather see too much overtaking than none at all.”

          We saw after Istanbul that this isn’t correct, Well in terms of DRS passing anyway.

          Whats exciting about a DRS pass? I find a DRS pass just as boring as no overtake at all.

          1. Oh hell no, not here. Turkey’s a decent track where they cocked up. What we have here is a rubbish track, too much overtaking? Fine, very very happy to over compensate on the worst track on the calender.

          2. It’s all circumstantial really. DRS at the very least puts you in a position to try to pass. Hamilton/Webber in Korea is a brilliant example.

        2. I can’t agree with your comment that we’d prefer “too much overtaking”. Give me Imola ’05 over any DRS freakshow any day!

          Surely what we all want to see is great racing? It’s strange that in some people’s minds this has come to mean simply “more overtaking”. DRS is anti-racing and anti-excitement. It gets the faster cars to the front quicker, and with less effort and skill.

          I hope that, once the novelty has worn off, people come to realise, otherwise the spirit of this sport, as a racing series, may be lost forever.

          1. Maybe @mhop, we’ll just see Alonso passing Petrov on the first straight only to be passed again by Petrov on the 2nd, lap after lap. Might be fun as a variation, but it’s not really overtaking in my mind. But it might be racing because keeping that up lap after lap might make it hard to keep mistakes out of it.

      2. It was foreseeable that the zones would’ve been on those two straights. Maybe they are too long, but I can’t tell.

        1. It might still turn out the same way a double zone helped Valencia (although there is was with just one detection point), in other words, not at all.

          As the track has not shown any real chance of a tight battle in the past races, I think I will also just wait and see what it brings. This track is bad and gimmicky enough that DRS to easily pass somehow fits right into the show

      3. Alonso was the champion last year with DRS.

        1. Yes & by passing cars in a dull, boring, Unexciting & skill-less way!

          Seriously hope DRS gets the boot for 2012 although im not holding my breath :(

    2. Still dont see much excitement. Either cars will breeze past in DRS. DRS will have little effect, or if it is well placed and works, the chicane at the end of both long straights are completely anti-overtake. Circuit really needs complete redevelopment.

      1. My feelings exactly. And with the season in the finishing stages, the cars are pretty much in their right spots already after qualifying, so something like Webber in China is pretty unlikely here.

        If my calculations are correct, the first zone is about 600m and the second one is a bit less. Most likely the first one is used to get close and the second one for the pass.

    3. One year too late

    4. Logic decision, really, considering last race.

      Are both DRS zones longer than those in India? and on that basis, which was the longest DRS zone this year?

      1. Spain had the longest DRS zone, but even so, it had no effect and very little passing. (even though the race itself was decent)

        1. The first zone won’t work, by the time they get to activate the DRS, they will both be banging on the rev limiter doing the same speed, so the car behind won’t be able to over take.
          The second zone is where it will happen though.

          1. But the second zone is on a somewhat curved “straight” just like it was in Valencia (where it didn’t do much).
            Lets wait and see, its not as if its going to ruin a race here, as no one expects much of it anyhow.

            1. Yes it is curved but the track is so wide here that they tend to straight line it once they get near the pit entry for the GT cars.

              I think the main problem is that the 2 chicanes are a little too tight so even if you can get alongside it could be difficult to make a pass stick.

              I think it should produce some fun wheel banging so lets just enjoy the spectacle now that the titles are a distant memory.

              The last races are just exhibition pieces really so I say go mad and let them DRS wherever they like for the whole weekend! It would take more skill and the overtakes would not be as prescribed in terms of track location.

              No-one told Niki Lauda when to press his Turbo boost button did they?

    5. Maybe the concept was, that if driverA overtakes driverB at the first zone, than driverB will be able to fight back. But I dont think this will be the case because its obvius if unless driverA is mutch faster than driverB, he wont do the overtake in the first zone. I hope sunday will prove me wrong.

    6. Well 7 to 8 is where we’ve seen most overtaking here before, 9 to 11 was always slightly harder. My feeling is they’ll breeze past on the first straight (if they dont hit the limiter) and only be close on the second if they got a better exit from the chicane. Mostly it’ll depend on how much the tyres go off, someone on fresher tyres and good traction should have a pretty easy time of it.

    7. I feel Webbo is not going to overtake anyone after he finds himself running 3rd o 4th, but chasing the guy in front, as it happened in Korea, India, etc.

      DRS has become a bit too predictable.

    8. Will someone please take count of the number of DRS passes during the race , categorize them as to who gained advantage and who didn’t, account for near successful passes , who actually benefiited and whether or not this gimick does make a difference. We are approaching a point where the need for this technology and its benefits should continue to be supported by the fans or to ask if there is a better way of using DRS, if it is here to stay.

    9. I think the double DRS may actually be counter-productive. The first zone will encourage cars to have a go, if they don’t get by then they’ll out of shape for the second zone and won’t get by there either.

      Remember the cars will have different relative top speeds, for some it may be too easy, for others not enough.

    10. We may have the case that once you overtake then people will re overtake you in the second zone.

    11. does it look to anyone else like Tilke got bored and just drew a big capital letter “E” wearing a wizards hat instead of designing a proper circuit?

    12. Alonso’s thinking “well this is a year too late.” The dictionary definition of irony would have a picture of him using DRS to pass Petrov :)

      1. Alonsomatic (@the0506alonsomatic)
        10th November 2011, 4:09

        Very true. Unfortunately if I remember well, it was at the straight that Petrov would pull away from Alonso…Darn it!!

        1. Exactly like that. Petrov would have better tracktion out of the corner to get a distance between them and then a slightly higher top speed, so Alonso got on him right before the corners, but was never in a position to get past.

          A bit like Vettel was driving away out of the corners quite often this year, not allowing the guy behind to get close enough to really use DRS on him.

    13. i dont think we will get much passing on this track – even with DRS.

      hopefully Pirelli will bring an aggressive tyre choice. otherwise it might be better to watch the highlights.

      i wish at least we get someone stuck in the pit exit tunnel and we have a pile up. thats about the only exciting prospect that this track brings. but the FIA would surely red flag the race anyway.

      1. Since Pirelli know the track well from their testing, you’d think they should know how aggressive they can be, let’s hope they act on it indeed. That pitlane exit almost deserves it, true, but no driver really does.

    14. Well, I predict another good race for STR if they go with another fast straight-line speed set-up.

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