The FIA has taken the decision to ban the drag-reduction-system during practice and qualifying through the tunnel section in Monaco and Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps.
The governing body recently confirmed the system would be available around the Monaco street circuit, but during a meeting in Spain on Friday, following practice, they communicated to the teams and drivers that DRS would be banned from turns eight to ten, essentially the tunnel section.
It will also be unavailable for use through the famous Eau Rouge section in Belgium, between turns two and four.
The decision has been made on safety grounds with the tunnel being affected by a sweeping right-hand bend, surrounded by high concrete walls, making it difficult to recover any car which crashes as a result – though we are yet to see such an occurrence, though Adrian Sutil proved the difficulties involved in accelerating with the wing open in Melbourne.
Eau Rouge on the other-hand is taken flat in modern Forumla 1 cars, though that wouldn’t be the case with reduced downforce, thus the FIA has banned its use, rather than letting drivers find out the consequences for themselves.