McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton explains usage of Drag Reduction System in wet conditions – Formula 1
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton has explained the usage of the Drag Reduction System following the two wet Free Practice sessions for the 2011 Formula 1 British Grand Prix.
The stewards at first claimed that the DRS is not usable under wet conditions but since McLaren used the slick tyres during the practice sessions, there is no rule claiming that the teams cannot use the device while driving on slick tyres even if it
is raining and the track is wet.
Therefore, the 2008 Formula 1 champion decided to make a visit to the stewards’ office to discuss the ‘correct usage of DRS’ and to ask for a clarification regarding this rule as well.
“The reason I went to the stewards was to discuss the correct usage of DRS in wet conditions. The rules don't clearly state whether you can use DRS on slicks in wet conditions, which is what we did this morning,” he said.
As a result, Hamilton used the DRS at the Hangar straight which was not illegal according to the regulations provided by the stewards since he was running on slick tyres.
However, the McLaren driver asked them to make some ‘tweaks’ to the rules and probably define the limits of using the DRS more clear.
“The stewards just wanted to understand so that they could tighten the wording of the regulations for the next race. I also suggested a couple of tweaks to make the regulations clearer and safer, so it was quite a useful visit,” said Hamilton.
Other than that, Hamilton was happy with the team’s performance and claims that the team has a pretty competitive car for the upcoming weekend.
He added that it is not going to be an easy race and that the conditions are going to play a huge role this weekend. Since rain is expected throughout the weekend and even during the qualifying session, the teams will have to come up with versatile
‘all-seasonal’ setups so that their cars perform at their best in all conditions.
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