DRS to stay for 2021

DRS has been much maligned since its entry into Formula One in 2011, with many people criticising it for producing ‘fake overtakes’ and poor racing. Despite calls to scrap it, Ross Brawn has revealed that it is likely to stay when the new rules for the sport are put into use in 2021.

Cars have had tough times following other cars in recent years due to turbulent air being thrown out by the car in front, destabilising the chasing driver. This has meant that DRS has been a critical piece of tech when one driver is looking to get past another.

In February of this year, Brawn said that he would like to see the development and evolution of cars lead to DRS being no longer needed, although after watching this season unfold it is difficult to see that happening before the new regulations in two seasons’ time.

Brawn reiterated his desire to be without DRS but admitted it could stay: "I’d like to think we could reach a stage where the DRS doesn’t become so critical, but it’s a very easy thing to have or not have if we find the cars are able to battle with each other.

“I think overtaking is a culmination, but having a great battle is critical, and where you have cars where they can’t follow each other consistently because the tyres degrade because the loss of performance, then you don’t have so many great battles. 

“You can have a great battle where the guy that is leading at the start is still leading at the end, but it’s still a great battle. So we have made an effort to distinguish the difference between overtaking and racing. Often racing will culminate in overtaking.”