F1 drivers ask the FIA ​​the change of DRS after the scary Suzuka shunt

Formula 1 drivers asked the FIA ​​to see if there are better ways to automatically deactivate DRs following the huge Jack Doohan accident in the practice of the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Alpine Doohan driver underwent an accident of 190 mPh in the barriers of the Tour 1 during the second free training session on Friday afternoon in Suzuka.

The incident was caused after the DRS of DOOHAN when he attacked the first local segment.

With the opening of the rear wing flap, Doohan had much less support at the back of his car and that launched him while turning as soon as he went.

While Alpine blamed the accident on a “error of judgment” of Doohan so as not to close the DR in turn 1, the situation seems to be slightly more complicated because there are other means by which the DR must be closed without the driver needing to hit a button.

As part of a range of security measures introduced by the FIA ​​to ensure that DR cannot remain open in the corners, it is understood that there are two other elements in place to avoid incidents.

The first, which is established in the regulations, is that the DRS component must close as soon as the driver strikes the brake.

F1 sports regulations indicate: “The system will be deactivated by control electronics the first time that the driver uses the brakes after activating the system.”

There is also a requirement for the FIA ​​that the DRS is closed if the driver leaves the accelerator of a certain amount.

However, the sensitivity of these two aspects is due to the teams – because they can modify the variability according to the layout of the track and where the DRS zones interact with the type of corners that follow.

The teams can choose the quantity of braking pressure required before closing the DR.

In terms of lifting the accelerator pedal, it is understood that the FIA ​​only requires that the DRS closes when a driver reduced the accelerator by 20% or more.

It is up to the teams to decide if they choose to make the system more sensitive, so that the DRS closes at a higher level of accelerator than 80%.

The parameters above are good enough to cover almost all the circumstances of the calendar, but Suzuka is almost unique to have an almost flat corner after a DRS zone – so it takes a different approach to ensure that the flap is closed.

Silverstone’s opening scales have had a similar configuration in the past but, after problems at the British GP 2018, the DRS zone along the beginner’s right was deleted by the FIA.

There are other corners on the calendar where drivers are sometimes invited to close the DR before the braking area to ensure that the air flow has completely returned to the rear wing before turning.

With the Doohan accident highlighting the speed with which things can go wrong if the DR did not close when the drivers expect, the race learned that the case had appeared during the briefing of Friday evening pilots on the Japanese general practitioner.

As part of discussions on the issue, it is understood that a certain number of drivers have asked the director of the F1 RUI Marques race if there was a way to ensure that DRS was automatically deactivated on the entrance in the corners as a final failure.

A suggested idea was that it was done via the GPS, so a signal could be sent to the cars so that DRs close if they entered a certain section of the track.

The realization of such a critical security system which has not suffered any problems would however be quite complicated, but the FIA ​​agreed to examine the question and to see what can be done.

Alpine repaired Doohan’s car overnight and it should be back on the right track for a free final practice.