The FIA has chosen to extend the first DRS zone in a bid to increase overtaking after drivers expressed concerns that the chosen distance was too short.
The race will feature two zones, the first of which is detected between turns six and seven, with activation 470 metres down the main straight. That has now been extended by 75 metres, though Jenson Button doesn’t believe the FIA have gone far enough and still expects to struggle.
“I was trying DRS from the exit of Turn 7 all the way down to Turn 8, and I was struggling to overtake cars.
“So lengthening it by 75 metres or whatever is not going to make a big difference because it is only half the straight we will be using – it is going to be tricky.”
The McLaren driver says he’ll have to wait and see what the effect of a longer zone will do to Sunday’s race.
“Two DRS zones is good, but it is still very difficult to overtake. It has always been tough here for the last two years. We haven’t seen too many overtakes on the straight. This should help a little bit, but whether it is enough we have to wait and see.”
The second zone will remain the same length, with detection after nine and activation after ten.
