Carlos Sainz has stated that DRS is an absolute necessity in Formula 1 to create overtaking with the current cars.
This week, RaceFans revealed that the sport is hoping to phase out the controversial aid that’s been in place in 2011 when new ground effect cars are introduced in 2021.
Before then, however, efforts were already made to make the 2019 cars more raceable through the implementation of new front and rear wings, however, the Spaniard says the difference wouldn’t be enough to consider removing DRS for now.
“I can tell you that Formula 1 races without DRS nowadays would have close to zero overtakes,” he told Crash.net Monza.
“I think DRS at the moment is needed, we cannot live without DRS. Hopefully, in the future, we can not depend on it.”
On whether he expects the new 2021 cars to achieve that he added: “At the moment, FOM and F1 are very convinced about it that it will improve it, and we don’t have any other choice but to believe it and trust them.
“I think they’ve done research and done their homework, and we need to give a go to those regulations and see how it works. I think they’re going in the right way, 100 per cent.
“How much will they improve? I don’t know.”
Sainz’s McLaren team is hoping the broader changes coming for 2021 provide an opportunity to end the three-team domination at the front and move back into a position where they can end what is almost a seven-year win drought to this point.
“I think things are going to change, but the overall picture of Formula 1 will still be the same,” Sainz said.
“I am positive about what FOM has come up with, the aero regulations and the budget cap. I just wish it would be next year because the earlier we introduce this kind of change, the better for the sport. We’ll see how it goes.”
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His team boss at McLaren, Andreas Seidl, is also positive about the change F1 can expect from 2021.
“The new regulations for 2021 as we have said already we fully support the direction FIA and F1 is going in,” he said.
“For us, the most important thing is the financial regulations to come into place, especially the budget cap. It’s the only chance for us as a team to have a level playing field with the three main spenders in the sport.
We also like what we have seen on the technical side and the sporting side as I think it hits the objectives of what has been set one or two years ago, should improve closer racing and overtaking, which improves the show.
“For us, it’s just important now to have these two more meetings lined up now, and hopefully we can do the last fine-tuning of what is in place in terms of proposals and then we’re waiting for the announcement at the end of October.”