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Thursday, April 14, 2011

DRS Zone confirmed for China

The DRS Zone in China is going to be located on the back straight, with the activation zone in the middle of Turn 12, just after Turn 11, a second gear, 85kph corner (53mph).  Turn 12 is quite tight at entry but opens up on exit so will allow a car to accelerate away.

I'm wondering if this accordion effect will leave a following car stuck on the apex of Turn 11 and give an opportunity to the car in front to extend a 1 second lead to 1.1 or 1.2 seconds at the activation zone, thus ruling out the use of DRS by the following car on the straight, where the activation zone is located approximately halfway along, into the tight hairpin Turn 14.

If DRS is used along this straight the cars should reach some speed going into the 73kph corner (45mph), given the length of the back straight at 1,170 metres.  The cars tend to achieve over 300kph in 7th gear (190mph) at the speed trap just before the braking zone.

Will the squirt of acceleration after turn 11 give the advantage to the leading car?  If anyone knows put me in the loop?