04/05/2023
NEWS STORY
Fernando Alonso insists he sees no problem with the FIA experimenting by shortening the length of DRS zones.
Days after the sport's governing body reduced the zone on the main zone in Baku, a move which many claim led to the processional nature of the race, two of the three zones in Miami have been shortened by 75 metres.
Two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso sees no problem with this.
Asked if he agreed with the move, his response was instant: "I think so, yes... It was the easiest here last year, apparently, so that's why I think FIA did shorten the DRS. In Baku it was one of the easiest last year, so they shortened the DRS.
"I heard Lewis was saying that the DRS was too short," he continued, referring to Baku, "which I think for them with the high downforce it was too short, for Red Bull, it was too long.
"At the start/finish line, Max overtook Leclerc and he was opening to brake on the outside for Turn 1, so if you are one car, it was too long. If you take another car, it was too short.
"I guess it was about the calculation that the FIA do after seeing last year's races. Baku and Miami, they were on the high side in terms of overtaking, and how easy it was. So that's why they shortened it. Let's see this year, but it's difficult to predict."
The Spaniard pointed to the closeness in performance of the midfield pack as being the main contributory factor behind the DRS trains we are witnessing.
"If you remove the Red Bull sometimes within six-tenths you are from P3 to P16 in Q1 to go out of the next session. So then eventually, you finish qualifying in the order that you deserve. Then, in the race, how you will overtake a car that in front of you who is just half a tenth quicker than you?
"It's more or less your natural order," he added. "So I think that's the main reason. Though it could be the tyres as well, they still get overheated quite heavily if you follow cars. So you need to decide wisely when you want to be too close to a car in front of you. That's the problem."
While some now doubt the effectiveness of last year's rules overhaul, the Spaniard insists that it is still too early to be drawing conclusions.
"I think there were higher expectations on following cars, and maybe having the grid a little bit be closer together," he said. "I think we need to give a little bit more time.
"If we didn't have the Red Bull that much ahead I think it would be a very interesting fight, with three or four teams within one or two tenths, and maybe we were saying that the rules, they were a success.
"So maybe this is the story in few years' time or whatever, when we have some stability in the rules. Then maybe 2026 everything changes again!"