Felipe Massa: Drag Reduction System going to affect Malaysian Grand Prix – Formula 1 news
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa believes that the Drag Reduction System is going to affect the Malaysian Grand Prix more than it did the opening race of the 2011 Formula 1 season that took place in Australia.
“With the moveable rear wing, the situation will be interesting here, because for the moment, the plan is to be allowed to use DRS during the race on the straight in front of the pits, but at Sepang, the straight that runs back the other way is actually
longer,” he told the media.
The DRS became a part of Formula 1 officially at the Australian Grand Prix but it did not affect the results significantly and the teams did not overtake as much as it was expected. The short pit straight of the Albert Park Circuit was not sufficient enough
for drivers to enable the movable rear wing and get closer to their rivals but despite that, most of the overtakes were taken at the first corner of the circuit.
On the other hand, the Sepang circuit is much different as compared to the Albert Park Circuit. In Sepang, there is a much longer pit straight and a significantly larger braking zone before heading in to turn one.
Massa believes that the success of the system is going to depend on the overtaking zone the International Automobile Federation (FIA) decides for the activation of the movable rear wing.
“It is also true that it would offer a higher chance of overtaking. So, we are waiting for the final decision from the FIA to see if we use DRS on the front straight, the back one or both,” Massa added.
Ferrari were unable to perform up to their expectations at the season opener as McLaren and Red Bull Racing Team were miles ahead of them in terms of pace.
However, the team is hoping for much better results in Malaysia as they have vowed to fix their mistakes and improve their car before the second race of the season.
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