After the Doohan accident in Japan, the GPDA takes the DRS issue in two opposite directions

We all remember Jack Doohan’s huge crash during the second free practice session in Suzuka.

At the entrance of turn 1, the driver had forgotten to close his DRS, which resulted in a 50 G impact with the wall.

This problem was not detected in the simulator before the weekend, despite a similar virtual corner entry. He hadn’t participated in FP1, since Ryo Hirakawa had taken the wheel.

Saturday, after the accident, several drivers approached F1 race director Rui Marques to investigate whether there is a system capable of automatically disabling the DRS when approaching corners as a safety measure in case the driver does not do so. A proposal considers the possibility of the DRS system closing automatically via GPS in certain sections of the track, such as turn 1 at Suzuka.

George Russell and the new GPDA director, Carlos Sainz, expressed differing opinions when asked this weekend if there was a need to change something.

« With these cars, safety is always our major concern, especially considering the speeds we reach. At no other time in F1 history could Jack walk or stand today », stated the Spanish driver.

“Before adding that they were lucky it doesn’t happen more often, before mentioning that sometimes the button doesn’t engage properly and doesn’t really close the DRS. « I’m afraid there haven’t been enough accidents of this type to prove that we might need to work on safety related to this element. But I hope that Doohan’s accident shows that it’s necessary to create a system that automatically closes 100 or 50 meters before braking, to avoid any driver error or DRS failure. And this warns you that even if the system hasn’t been closed by the FIA, it needs to be closed »,” he concluded.

From next year, the DRS will be abandoned, so the problem will no longer exist. However, as the Spaniard points out, active aerodynamics at the front and rear will still require manual management of the reduced drag mode and thus low downforce.

For George Russell, who is also the GPDA director for the third season, he believes it should be left to the drivers to prevent this type of incident.

The Briton first insisted that automation is not always the most appropriate solution, adding that there were already too many gadgets and systems on board the single-seaters.

He does not deny that what happened to Jack Doohan was unfortunate, and he sympathizes with the Australian driver. But for him, it is probably the only corner in the entire calendar where this is an issue.

The Mercedes driver concluded with a reminder about the professionalism and responsibility of the drivers, emphasizing that after a straight line, simply pressing the button to disable the DRS is part of the job.

These inconsistencies within the GPDA highlight two different perspectives regarding the safety of drivers and their equipment. It is up to the FIA to weigh the options and listen to each proposal.