spoiler wins Canadian Grand Prix
 

The McLaren/Mercedes-Benz car,with DRS? spoiler ran away from competition in the Canadian Grand Prix the other day.
On the straights,they'd just open up the rear spoiler,kill the induced drag, and walk away from the other cars.

Wow, you would of thought they would of all being doing that, by now. I am going to watch the race, if i can find it..
If i find it i'll post a link.

I heard about this too. Drivers with active aero mods are only permitted to activate them on designated areas of the various tracks they use.

I am also surprised that there haven't been more race cars with active aero... Spoilers attached to steering arms etc. I suppose the delay is because of rules, but it makes me wonder if there will be a more "unlimited" class of racers in the near future.

All F1 cars have a moveable flap on the rear spoiler. DRS - drag reduction system. There is a DRS detection zone, usually a turn or two before the main straight. If you are within one second of the car ahead of you when you pass this detection zone, your DRS will be enabled for the DRS zone - usually the last half of the main straight. A car with DRS activated typically has a 20-30 km/h advantage by the end of the straight. It is a way to encourage passing. This is the ONLY active aero mod allowed in F1.

Another cool F1 feature is KERS - kinetic energy recovery system. All cars have regenerative braking that charges a battery pack to a maximum capacity of 400 KJ with a maximum output of 80 hp. This equates to a maximum of 6.67 seconds of boost per lap. Drivers use it strategically to gain time here and there around the track, or to fend off a DRS enabled car attempting to get around them.

Yes, the DRS (drag reduction system) is on all the cars and it is for use only on 1 (or 2) zones on the track -- the following car must be less than 1s behind at a particular point just prior to the DRS zone, which is usually the longest straight. This rule has been there for 2 years. It helps raise the competition by making it more likely for cars to pass.

The best aero tweak this year is on the Mercedes cars (Schumacher and Rosberg). When their DRS activates, the end plate of the moveable wing element exposes an air inlet on the main wing end plate. They have ducts going all the way through the car to the front wing. Everyone else's DRS reduces the area of the rear wing, but the Mercedes also stalls out the front wing, reducing drag even further. They get an even bigger benefit in qualifying, where they can use it whenever they want.

Touching the brakes disables the DRS, bringing the downforce back at the end of the straight to help with braking and cornering.

Here's an explanation:

Mercedes' "Double DRS" Explained: Sky Sports F1 2012 - Round 4: Bahrain GP - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mGtfhZD0f0

They all have DRS spoilers.
The point is when they are being allowed to use it, or not.

DRS is essentially nothing more than an unfair advantage to the rider in pursuit.
He can kill his drag and overtake the leader, while the leader is simply not allowed to reduce his drag likewise.

It's like dueling with one of the duelists not being allowed to have a round in the chamber.

Not exactly my idea of fair sports.
Part of the game is denying a faster rider the opportunity to overtake.


IIRC we've already had a double DRS overtake as well - a stick of three cars following each other with only the aft two allowed to use DRS.
Guess what happened to the unlucky guy at the point of the stick ...

At least there is tons of passing now. Only a few years ago F1 was a good way to fall asleep on the couch. I am happy with the current rules. 7 rounds so far with 7 different winners. Can't get better than that.