Drag Reduction System

Lore & Background

DRS was used in Formula One from 2011 to 2025, with Jenson Button and Andrea Kimi Antonelli being the first and the last to use it, respectively. Additionally, Lance Stroll performed the last successful DRS overtake. The use of DRS was an exception to the rule banning any moving parts whose primary purpose is to affect the aerodynamics of the car. The system is also used in the Formula Renault 3.5 from 2012 until it folded in 2017, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since 2013, GP2 Series later FIA Formula 2 Championship since 2015, GP3 Series later FIA Formula 3 Championship since 2017. An adjustable wing was also used by the Nissan DeltaWing at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, although with free usage. DRS was removed from Formula One for the 2026 season, and was replaced with an 'active aerodynamics' system under the new 2026 regulations.

Reader's Guide

In Formula One, the DRS opened an adjustable flap on the rear wing of the car, in order to reduce drag, thus giving a pursuing car an overtaking advantage over the car in front. The FIA estimate the speed increase to be 10–12 km/h (6.2–7.5 mph) by the end of the activation zone, while others, such as technical staff at racecar-engineering.com, cite a much lower figure of 4–5 km/h (2.5–3.1 mph). When the DRS is deactivated or closed, it increases downforce, giving better cornering.

Between 2011 and 2023, the device could only be used during a race after two racing laps had been completed, and when the pursuing car entered a designated 'activation' zone defined by the FIA. This also included having to wait 2 laps after a safety car restart. In 2024 the rule was changed and now the device can be used during a race after only one racing lap after the race start or a safety car restart has been completed. The horizontal elements of the rear wing consists of the main plane and the flap.

The DRS allows the flap to lift a maximum of 85 millimetres (3.3 in) from the fixed main plane. Use of DRS was restricted in the F1 rules; it was permitted only when both: the following car was within one second of the car to be overtaken, which could be a car being lapped; and the following car was in an overtaking zone as defined by the FIA before the race. Further: the system could not be activated until the end of one lap (from 2024) after the race start, restart, or a safety car deployment; the system could not be used by the defending driver, unless within one second of another car in front; the system could not be enabled if racing conditions are deemed dangerous by the race director, such as rain; a dashboard light notified the driver when the system was enabled; the system was deactivated when the driver released the button or used the brakes; there were lines on the track to show the detection point and activation point, along with a sign marked 'DRS' where the DRS zone began.

Did You Know?

• The first driver to use DRS in a Formula One race was Jenson Button at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix.
• The McLaren P1 coupé is the first road car to have incorporated the F1-style rear wing Drag Reduction System.