Steiner given no explanation for F1 DRS reduction

Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has claimed he’s been given no answer to questions surrounding the reduction of DRS zones in some locations.

In Azerbaijan, the DRS zone on the pit straight was reduced by 100 metres, resulting in significantly less action into Turn 1.

This weekend in Miami, the two DRS zones have been reduced by 75 metres on a circuit that proved difficult to pass on a year ago.

“I tried to find out why they’re doing that [shortening DRS zones], and I still haven’t found an answer,” Steiner admitted when asked by Speedcafe.

“I tried to ask how it was decided – I don’t know why.

“I don’t think it’s dangerous; that’s my personal opinion. If somebody explains [the] dangers, I’m prepared to listen, but I’ve never got an answer on anything like this.

“I think we need to start to look at why the overtaking is more difficult,” he added.

“Maybe it has to do with the change of the floor from last year to this year; maybe it has to do only because everybody has more downforce now, that makes it always worse to follow; it could be a combination.

“But what we need to be careful of is that we are not turning the regulations around again in August for next year because it’s then quite annoying because you put a lot of money and development into a car, and then now we need to change.

“Either we change now, or we don’t change – not [immediately], in the near future,” clarified.

“It needs to come up on the table and needs to be talked about, not try to push it away.”

Steiner explained that his team was among the first to report that overtaking has grown more difficult in 2023.

Regulations introduced at the start of 2022 were designed to allow cars to follow more closely to promote better racing.

However, as the development of the cars has progressed, drivers have begun to express their concerns, noting that it remains difficult to follow and the slipstream effect has been reduced.

“I think we were some of the first to say something because our drivers complained quite a lot that it is worse than [the] ’22 car, and we were told it’s mainly our car,” said Steiner when asked by Speedcafe.

“Everybody’s now jumping on the bandwagon and says it is more difficult.

“In the beginning, we were standing there alone when we mentioned that, and we actually said there’s only one or two teams which have more difficulty; maybe they’ve developed in the wrong direction.

“I think it’s in general, with this change of regulation last year, it didn’t get any better.”