The FIA modifies a DRS zone in Bahrain
The FIA has reduced the length of the third DRS zone at the Bahrain circuit, which will host the first Grand Prix of 2023 this weekend.
After the first 2023 meeting of the F1 Commission, the FIA announced that certain circuits would undergo modifications to their DRS zones. The first of these changes will be visible at the season’s opening Grand Prix, next Sunday, as the third DRS zone of the Sakhir circuit has been reduced.
This is the one that starts in the starting line before the finish. The detection point remains 110 meters before turn 14, but the activation point will now be placed 250 meters after turn 15, compared to 170 meters before.
This decision is in line with the work done during the off-season to improve the use of DRS. Indeed, opinions are divided. Some accuse the device of making overtaking too easy, while others appreciate the spectacle it provides. Jean Alesi is one of those who appreciates it.
“I am in favor of it because, in a way, it allows for some extra excitement, as there is nothing worse than races where it’s just a procession. Having DRS doesn’t automatically give you an advantage. It’s quite well balanced. DRS is less effective than in the past because there was not necessarily any ground effect. Now, it really has a ground effect, and on circuits like Monza, they realized that the slipstream remains and you don’t really manage to gain an advantage. » delivered during the pre-season tests in Bahrain.
