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      What is DRS in F1? All you need to know about Drag Reduction System

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      FORMULA ONE cars are packed with gadgets to make them go as fast as possible across the tarmac.But with so much technology to know and understand, fans can easily get confused. Here, we tell you everything you need to know about the Drag Reduction System (DRS).
      Max Verstappen, left, is using Drag Reduction System to overtake Charles Leclerc, who is not using DRS
      The drag reduction system (DRS) is an overtaking aid designed to make racing more exciting using the simple laws of aerodynamics.
      Here is all you need to know about the rear wing system.What does DRS stand for?
      DRS stands for drag reduction system.
      This is a method used by F1 drivers to follow their rivals more closely and therefore overtake them.
      When in a DRS zone, a driver within one second of a rival car may activate the DRS.
      This is not automatic and a driver usually has a button on their steering wheel to activate the system.
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      How does DRS help to overtake?
      Within the push of a button, a driver can open up part of the rear wing.
      It is used to reduce aerodynamic drag and increase the straight-line speed of the car.
      That will allow them to close in on the car in front quicker than they would normally be able to.
      There is at least one DRS zone on each track in F1 but some have as many as three to help to overtake.
      When can they use it?
      The drivers can only use the DRS during designated activation zones.
      To ensure that overtaking is not too easy, the length and location of the zones are carefully controlled.
      They must be within one second of a car in front to be able to use the DRS.
      Most tracks have a DRS zone on their main straight, helping the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as they look to win.
      Credit: AP
      Everything you need to know about F1 this season

      When was DRS first used in F1?
      The drag reduction system was introduced to Formula One in 2011.
      Regulations in 2013 stated that no item of the body may be adjustable by the driver during the race – with the exception of the DRS. More

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      Formula 1 legend Jenson Button sets world record for his lightning-fast reflexes

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      FORMULA 1 legend Jenson Button has added another string to his bow – breaking a Guinness World Record thanks to his lightning-fast reflexes.An official Guinness World Record adjudicator presented the British racing driver with his award after he smashed the record for the number of strikes on a Batak board in 30 seconds.
      F1 legend Jenson Button has added another string to his bow breaking a Guinness World Record thanks to his lightning-fast reflexesCredit: SWNS
      His super-fast reaction times saw him hit 58, beating the previous holder, Arshia Shahriarhi from Iran, who held the record of 56 from October 2019.
      The Batak light reaction machine is often used to improve F1 drivers’ reaction speed, hand co-ordination and stamina, with racers thought to have reaction times that are three times faster than the average person.
      Targets light up randomly across the board and participants must hit each light within an allotted time – to test their ability to respond quickly and make sure their peripheral vision is up to scratch.
      Jenson has previously beaten former teammate, and seven times F1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, at a 60 second Batak challenge.
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      Button was set the challenge by TV and internet streaming service NOW, ahead of the Formula 1 season kicking off on 3rd March in Bahrain.
      Jenson Button said: “Always nice to add a new trophy to the collection – and an official Guinness World Record at that. I set my unofficial record in my twenties, so it’s great to see that I’ve still got it, twenty years later.
      “We’re looking at one of the most exciting seasons yet with Max, Lewis and the guys at Ferrari – it’s definitely looking a three-way race for the Championship this year and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”
      F1 drivers go through vigorous training to become race ready and experience up to six times the force of gravity as they brake, turn and accelerate in their cutting-edge cars.
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      Not only this, an F1 drivers’ heart rate can increase to around 160 to 200 beats per minute in contrast to an average person’s resting heart rate at 60 beats per minute, making it crucial to train aerobically.
      While driving in F1, Jenson’s training consisted of cycling, running, boxing and swimming for 16 to 20 hours a week for 17 years – making competitions out of this with other people to see who could run, swim, cycle the furthest really helped spur him on.
      Other examples of his gruelling training routine included an eight-hour bike ride up a volcano, skiing up mountains and swimming with sharks.
      Jamie Schwartz, from NOW added: “We’re glad that we could work with an F1 legend like Jenson and get him into the record books. Setting a new World Record is definitely a great way to kick off the 2023 F1 season which is looking to be one of the best ever.”
      Joanne Brent, an adjudicator from Guinness World Records, said: “I’ve seen countless record attempts, but Jenson Button’s achievement in extinguishing 58 Batak lights in 30 seconds was very impressive.
      “Breaking this record requires not only lightning-fast reaction times but also the ability to maintain focus and rely on peripheral vision, as Jenson demonstrated during the attempt for the record.
      “It’s a testament to his skill as a race driver and a reminder that breaking records isn’t just about physical ability, but also mental discipline and strategy.”
      F1 fans can challenge Jenson’s new world record on the official NOW Batak machine on F1 opening weekend with details to be announced via NOW social media channels.
      The entire F1 season can be streamed live on NOW from 3rd March as the lights go out first in Bahrain, for more information visit www.nowtv.com.
      Button was set the challenge by TV and internet streaming service NOWCredit: SWNS
      His super-fast reaction times saw him hit 58, beating the previous holderCredit: SWNS
      An official Guinness World Record adjudicator presented the British racing driver with his awardCredit: SWNS More

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      Lewis Hamilton tipped to RETIRE if Mercedes car isn’t up to scratch this season as F1 legend stalls on new deal

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      SIR LEWIS HAMILTON is stalling over a new deal as he is waiting to see how good his car is, claims Jensen Button.Mercedes had a difficult season in 2022 with Hamilton failing to win a race for the first time in his career.
      Lewis Hamilton is optimistic about Mercedes’ chances this seasonCredit: EPA
      Jensen Button thinks Hamilton could retire if Mercedes fail to compete for the second year runningCredit: PA
      The 38-year-old is in the twilight of his career and could decide to retire at the end of the year if Mercedes cannot compete with Red Bull once again.
      He has been offered a contract extension which could reportedly see his salary rise by £22million to £62m-a-year.
      But Button thinks Hamilton is delaying until he finds out how good his car is.
      The 2009 world champion told The Telegraph: “It has to be that, right?”
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      “Why otherwise would you leave it this late? He knows how annoying we all are asking [about the contract].
      “I mean, we’ve got to ask the question, but he’s going to hate answering it over and over and over again. It can only be because he’s wondering how competitive they will be.
      “Is he going to sign if the car is uncompetitive because he wants it to be quick again before he retires?
      “Or is he thinking, ‘If it’s not better, I’m just going to retire’. Who knows?”
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      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – every Grand Prix from this year
      Hamilton is confident Mercedes will be able to compete after recording the second-quickest time in testing behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.
      He remains optimistic despite admitting the team are “not quite where we want to be” ahead of the season opener at Bahrain this weekend.
      Hamilton said: “There has been a lot of discovery and the whole team has approached it with the same mentality, working hard, not being complacent and staying focused.
      “We’re not quite where we want to be but it’s a good platform to start from. We don’t know where we will be next week, but we will stay positive and continue to push to the maximum.” More

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      Iconic corner AXED from 2023 Grand Prix as controversial ex-FIA chief Michael Masi get his wish ahead of F1 season

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      FORMULA ONE have wielded the axe on one of its most iconic corners. Spanish Grand Prix venue Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has seen it’s final sector altered so it no longer includes the chicane at turns 14 and 15.
      The Spanish Grand Prix will see its iconic chicane axed
      Turns 14 and 15 in Sector 3 are being removedCredit: Formula One
      They will be replaced by two high-speed cornersCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton has won the Spanish Grand Prix six timesCredit: AFP or licensors

      Instead, the circuit will now end with two high-speed corners, reverting back to the layout used before the chicane’s introduction in 2007.
      And the change means former F1 race director Michael Masi, who engineered the controversial ending to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s title fight in 2021, will get his wish.
      Masi pushed for changes to the layout back in 2021, saying at the time: “It’s something that we’ve been looking at for a little while.
      “It’s obviously not an overnight change that can be done, and having a look at all of the implications and unintended consequences that may come about.
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      “Like all of our circuits and different corners and everything, we work together with the teams, the drivers and F1 in ensuring we’ve got the safest venue, but also something that promotes good racing.”
      2022 saw changes pushed for even more before they were finally approved by current F1 race director and safety delegate Niels Wittich and the FIA’s head of circuit and rally safety Stuart Robertson.
      The new layout will see the circuit length shortened to 4.657km from 4.675km, an 18metre reduction.
      TECPRO barriers will be introduced in the new-look corners in a bid to maintain safety.
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      Additionally, the run-off at Turn 1 has been extended to accommodate 70m more gravel and a five per cent increase in slope, while a brand new fence has also been introduced.
      F1 fans appeared to be happy with the announcement.
      One fan said: “Finally.”
      A second declared: “Massive W, that last part of the race just didn’t feel right, it was just a bad copy of the Casio triangle from Suzuka (Japan).”
      A third commented: “I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS.”
      While a fourth added: “Lets go, the cars will be rockets now on the straight.”
      The F1 season gets underway this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix, while Hamilton and Co are due to visit Spain on June 4.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – every Grand Prix from this year More

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      F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Date, UK start time, live stream, TV channel, practice, qualifying for 2023 season opening race

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      THE 2023 Formula One season gets underway with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, with Max Verstappen aiming to become a three-time world champion. Red Bull dominated the 2022 season as they won 17 of 22 races with Verstappen taking a whopping 15 victories and team mate Sergio Perez two.
      Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo at the launch of Red Bulls 2023 car.Credit: AFP
      Charles Leclerc on the podium at last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Credit: Rex
      The pressure will be on new Ferrari team principle Fred Vasseur to deliver a title winning car as The Scuderia look for their first drivers title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.
      The 2022 car was fast but unreliable with Charles Leclerc taking 3 victories whilst Carlos Sainz took his maiden F1 win at Silverstone.
      Mercedes had a difficult 2022 season with the Brackley outfit only registering a solitary victory courtesy of George Russell at Interlagos.
      Lewis Hamilton failed to win a race for the first time in his Formula One career in 2022 and will be desperate to get back on the top step of the podium in 2023.

      Elsewhere on the grid Fernando Alonso replaced the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, Nico Hulkenburg returned to the sport with Haas, Pierre Gasly joined Alpine, Nyck de Vries joined Alpha Tauri, Oscar Piastri replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Mclaren and Logan Sargeant joined Williams.
      When is the Bahrain Grand Prix?

      The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, March 5.
      Practice gets going from 11.30am on Friday, March 3.
      Qualifying is on from 3pm on March 4.
      The race will begin at 3pm UK time.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      The Bahrain Grand Prix will be live on Sky Sports F1 with highlights on Channel 4.
      You can live stream the race on the Sky Go app which you can download on your tablet or mobile device.

      What are the teams and drivers?

      Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
      Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
      Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
      Alpine: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
      Mclaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
      Alpha Tauri: Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries
      Alfa Romeo: Valterri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou
      Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
      Haas: Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg
      Williams: Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant

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      Lewis Hamilton confident Mercedes WILL be able to challenge Red Bull for title as 2023 season draws closer

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S Mercedes team are confident they have fixed their challenger for this season after a mixed spell on track during testing.The new F1 season kicks off this week in Bahrain where Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell hope to be able to take the fight to world champion Max Verstappen.
      Lewis Hamilton admitted there is still a way to go for Mercedes to get to the level he wantsCredit: Getty
      Hamilton was second-quickest on the final day of testing behind Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez.
      And while he says the team are “not quite where we want to be” he has reasons to be optimistic going into the new season.
      He said: “There has been a lot of discovery and the whole team has approached it with the same mentality, working hard, not being complacent and staying focused.
      “We’re not quite where we want to be but it’s a good platform to start from. We don’t know where we will be next week, but we will stay positive and continue to push to the maximum.”
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      After a tricky day on track last Friday, Merc’s engineering chief Andrew Shovlin says that after a late night spent working on the problem they came up with a suitable fix.
      He added: “A fair bit of work took place overnight to find some refinements to the car specification and recover our direction on the set-up.
      “We do seem to have made progress; both drivers felt the car was in a much better place across the range of conditions [on Saturday] and the balance is closer to what they require on a single lap and long run.
      “It’s clear that we still have work to do on car pace but it has given us a much more coherent picture of where we need to focus our efforts.
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      “We’ll be using the time ahead of next weekend to go through the data we’ve collected and aim to extract a bit more lap time.”
      Meanwhile, Aston Martin will NOT turn to Sebastian Vettel if Lance Stroll is not fit enough to drive this week.
      Stroll suffered wrist injuries when he crashed his bicycle in Spain and was forced to miss all of pre-season testing.
      Aston say they will allow Stroll extra time to recover however if he does not pass a fitness test it will be reserve driver Felipe Drugovich who will compete in the race.
      Vettel retired at the end of last year, but there was growing speculation he could be lured back for a one-off race while Stroll recovers.
      Drugovich has already completed the pre-season alongside Aston’s new recruit, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. More

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      Michael Schumacher is ‘there but not there’ and can’t be part of the family, says ex-F1 boss pal in major health update

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      F1 LEGEND Eddie Jordan has opened up about his pal Michael Schumacher – saying the stricken star is “there, but not there” as mystery surrounds his health.Eddie, 74, gave the German his big break in F1 when the then 22-year-old racer made his debut with Jordan in the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991.
      Eddie Jordan with Michael Schumacher in 1991Credit: Sutton Motor Sport Images
      Jordan said his ‘love’ for Michael ‘still lasts’ after he gave him his break in F1Credit: Corbis – Getty
      Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick Schumacher, has followed him into F1Credit: AFP
      Michael would go on to break all the records – winning seven world championships and 91 races while driving for Ferrari and Benetton.
      But the 54-year-old racing legend has not been seen or heard from for nearly 10 years after his horror ski crash back in 2013.
      He was left with a severe brain injury and in a medically induced coma.
      Mystery surrounds his condition – with his family imposing a strict “family only” rule on who can visit him.
      Read more on Michael Schumacher
      And it came as Michael’s son Mick followed in his dad’s footsteps into F1.
      But the young driver, 23, struggled and lost his race seat at the end of 2022 after a series of crashes for the Haas team.
      Eddie was denied a visit to see Michael – but has kept up contact with Mick.
      The F1 boss said his “love” for the seven-time world champion “still lasts and will always do so while I’m able to draw breath” in a chat with sports betting firm OLBG.
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      And last year, he revealed his son Mick had reached out to him.
      “As far as I’m concerned, I was touched by it and the reason I was touched by it was because it can’t be easy knowing that your father is not able to be part of the family, he’s there but he’s not there,” said Jordan.
      Jordan explained that Mick spoke about his father in glowing terms as he was enduring his own struggles in F1.
      “It touched me because I felt so much about Michael, I went out of my way to find him, give him his first chance in Spa, didn’t last very long but that love for him still lasts and will always do so while I’m able to draw breaths,” said Eddie.
      Mick – who was dropped by Haas in favour of veteran driver Nico Hulkenberg for 2023 – is now a reserve driver at Mercedes.
      He will be backing up Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, potentially stepping in for them if they have to miss a race.
      In a touching link to his dad, Mercedes is the team that Michael ended his career with – having a brief three-season comeback from 2010 to 2012 after his initial retirement in 2006.
      Schuey is credited with helping to lay the foundations of the Silver Arrows as they went on to dominate the sport – winning eight constructors’ and seven drivers’ titles – between 2014 and 2021.
      Eddie however believes Mick could find his way back into a full-time race seat.
      “He’s been dropped for somebody else, and that’s a tough decision, he has another fight to come back and to make his name, climb up that ladder again,” he said.
      “I’m quite sure he will do it.”
      Jordan also revealed Michael named his son after legendary sportsman Mick Doohan.
      He said Mick was given his name “as a mark of respect” to the Aussie five-time MotoGP world champion.
      “Mick Schumacher isn’t named after his dad like a lot of people seem to think,” he said.
      “Mick Schumacher is named after a person who his father, Michael, was in total awe of, a sportsman who had won five world titles back to back with Honda.
      “And that is no other than Mick Doohan.
      “As a mark of respect, Michael Schumacher called his son Mick.”
      Last year, Jordan revealed Michael’s wife denied him a visit to see the Formula 1 legend after his horror skiing accident.
      His wife Corinna keeps his condition a closely guarded secret with strict rules about who’s allowed to see him.
      Corinna prefers to treat her husband privately at their home in Geneva, Switzerland with ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt one of the few people allowed to see him outside his immediate family.
      Jordan said he contacted Corinna, who was once the girlfriend of his team’s driver Heinz Harold Frentzenm, before she went on to marry Schumacher.
      He told the Irish Daily Mirror: “I reached out and one stage asked was it appropriate and did I think we should go and visit him.
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      “The answer was no. No visitations for anyone at that moment except the actual direct family.
      “However, since then, young Mick Schumacher – Michael’s son – has reached out to me, and he has been extraordinary.”
      Eddie Jordan was the former boss of Jordan Grand PrixCredit: Getty Images More

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      ‘It’s a pointless exercise’ – Lewis Hamilton slams ‘dangerous’ new F1 rules that could put drivers’ lives at risk

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has slammed “dangerous” new rules coming into F1 that he believes threatens to put drivers’ lives at risk.The seven-time world champion lashed out at proposals to ban tyre blankets, saying it is a “pointless exercise”.
      Lewis Hamilton has blasted ‘dangerous’ new rules being introduced into F1Credit: Reuters
      The rules are being considered as part of a shake up to reduce costs, as the energy-consuming blankets pre-heat tyres to provide better grip.
      But Hamilton, one of only a few drivers who have trialled the new Pirelli tyres which had not been warmed first, says it could cause a crash as drivers take to the track on cold tyres.
      He said: “I think it’s dangerous. I’ve tested the no blankets and there’s going to be an incident at some stage.
      “So on a safety factor I think it’s the wrong decision. You have to drive multiple laps to get the tyres to work.
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      “The whole argument is that taking away the blankets is for going more sustainable and more green. In actual fact we just use more fuel to get temperature into the tyres.
      “But more concerning is just when you go out, the car is skating around, it’s very twitchy, and if there’s someone else who’s on tyres that are working you could easily collide with them. It’s a pointless exercise.”
      Pirelli, the FIA and F1 are already phasing out tyre warming equipment on sustainability grounds.
      Last year, the temperature at which they operate was reduced from 100C front and 80C rear to 70C all round.
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      There had been plans to drop that temperature further to 50C this season, but that was stopped after the drivers voiced their concerns during a trial run in Austin last year.
      Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc also agrees that the blanket ban comes too soon.
      He added: “For now I don’t think we are exactly ready. I think there’s still a little bit of work, especially on the warm-up part of it in the first few laps, it’s still quite tricky.”
      Meanwhile, Hamilton has mixed feelings about this year’s Mercedes car after F1 testing in Bahrain came to a conclusion today.
      He added: “It’s difficult to sum it up. We’ve had a couple of difficult days — Friday particularly was difficult.
      “The first day didn’t feel too bad, [but] yesterday was a little bit more of a struggle.
      “I think George has had a much better morning on Saturday, so hopefully we’ve got the set-up in a bit of a better place.
      “But right now, for example, the bouncing that we had has pretty much gone, so that’s a huge step for us.
      “It’s nice to drive without the bouncing for once, but there are still some underlying things that we’re working through.”
      The F1 season kicks off next Sunday in Bahrain and Hamilton says it is still too “difficult to know” where Mercedes sit in the pecking order.
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      He said: “Some of the balance limitations that we had last year are present — we’re working through them.
      “[But] I’m really proud of everyone in the team for continuing to remain positive after a tough year last year, [doing] amazing through the winter for us to drive and have the mileage that we’ve had.” More