Former team boss Eddie Jordan has had enough of DRS. According to the Irishman, the Drag Reduction System is an unfair way to overtake a well-defending driver. His podcast colleague and former driver David Coulthard also finds the system ‘too effective’ for fair racing.
Formula 1 introduced the Drag Reduction System, or DRS, in 2011 as a tool for overtaking. The system consists of a gap in the rear wing that opens to reduce drag and thus increase speed on the straights, as soon as a driver is within a second of his predecessor. For former team boss Eddie Jordan and former driver David Coulthard, the system cannot be abolished quickly enough.
“We recently saw the Brazilian Grand Prix, under damp, wet conditions and of course without DRS, and it was a brilliant race,” Coulthard begins his argument against the system, in the ‘Formula For Success’ podcast. “Personally, I think DRS is often too effective for allowing people to overtake. And in the past, you could really anticipate that you could perform an overtaking maneuver and got the chance to do so. So I would certainly be in favor of reducing the effect of DRS.
Unfair Advantage
Jordan does not hesitate to label DRS as “stupid”. According to the former team boss, it primarily puts the leading car in an “unfair” position. “DRS is like having a boxer with one hand tied behind his back at that moment, and it’s an unfair advantage, right? I mean, he doesn’t have all the facilities to defend himself.”
“I believe that if you can’t do it fairly (overtaking), why would you punish a good driver by simply making him give up a position, because of that stupid rule, DRS, is in play. I’m not a fan of it. I’m really sorry. Call me old-fashioned, call me what you want,” concludes Jordan. The good news for the Irishman is that DRS will be abolished in 2026 when the new regulations come into effect.
