Max Verstappen got his 55th career win at last week’s Belgian Grand Prix. The two-time world champion went on to put in a phenomenal lap in Q3 to take pole in Friday’s qualifying. He didn’t stop there; he also won the sprint on Saturday by passing Oscar Piastri for the win.
Unfortunately, he was given a five-place grid penalty for exceeding the number of gearbox changes in a season. He worked his way up the grid and won the race in the end. But it wasn’t as easy as it looked. Max Verstappen recently revealed that passing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton felt impossible due to DRS.
What is DRS range or drag reduction system in F1? Explained
DRS is the short form for drag reduction system, a retractable flap on an F1 car’s rear wing. This lowers the aerodynamic drag; opening the flap of the vehicle results in acceleration and raises peak speed. The DRS is a help for overtaking, but only in areas that have been set aside as DRS zones ahead of a race weekend.
Although some tracks have two, the majority only have one DRS zone. Only once a driver has closed to within a second of the car in front at a predetermined “detection point” on the track may the DRS be activated. The DRS was introduced in 2011 to facilitate overtaking, and although some consider it a crucial tool in a driver’s toolbox, others think it makes racing unnatural.
This is the reason why the two-time world champion Max Verstappen felt like it was impossible to pass the Brit in the Belgian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen drops exclusive insights on his overtake of Lewis Hamilton at the Belgian GP
Verstappen just needed 17 laps to take the lead after starting from P6 on the grid due to a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change before the race. Sergio Perez, a teammate, was easily passed by the two-time world champion, who never looked back. On his road to victory, the Dutch driver also overtook Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, but it turns out that overtaking his longtime F1 rival proved to be a tougher battle than initially anticipated.
In a recent interview according to GP Fans, Max Verstappen revealed details about the overtake by saying: “I was a bit unlucky, because I got stuck behind Lewis, because he was in the DRS of Charles [Leclerc], and with them having the highest top speed, Lewis, this weekend, it was just impossible to pass.
“So I had to wait for him to drop out of the DRS and as soon as he didn’t have DRS anymore, I could pass. And then I think two or three laps later, I could pass Charles.
What do you think about Max Verstappen’s overtake? And do let us know your thoughts on the DRS system in the comments section down below.
