Lewis Hamilton believes the FIA should put a second DRS zone on the run to Suzuka’s famous 130R corner.
The Japanese Grand Prix is notorious for being one of the toughest races on the calendar for overtaking thanks to the narrow track and the technical sequence of corners in the first half of the lap.
However, while 130R has been little more than a flat out kink for well over a decade, race officials have never allowed drivers the option to have the rear wing flap open through the corner.
“I’ve noticed they’ve not put the double-DRS this weekend, which I don’t think is a good idea,” said Hamilton on Thursday. “We should have a double DRS zone because hopefully, that would help [overtaking].”
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Currently, Suzuka only has one zone on the run to Turn 1 which arguably is more dangerous with the right-hander now also almost flat out.
Hamilton though went on to explain why passing was so tough.
“At the moment every race you go to, each weekend there’s a certain distance or advantage you have to have on the car ahead to have an opportunity to overtake,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s like two seconds, sometimes it’s eight-tenths of a second. Here it’s over a second and a half you have to have on the car ahead. It’s quite a big delta. That’s why we don’t see a lot of overtaking.
“With an extra DRS section that [delta] shortens that a bit, so they need to add that.”
As it is, F1 is trying to design a future without the need for DRS by creating cars that are less impacted by turbulent air when running close together.
But the world champion doesn’t see the death of one of the most divisive aspects of modern F1 coming just yet.
“It will be a part of Formula 1 for a while, probably,” said Hamilton. “I don’t know if they’re going to keep in 2021, I would imagine they would.
“Those wings are going to be quite a bit bigger and hopefully following is going to be better, so maybe they won’t need it then.
“Now it’s just, some of the overtakes, you’re overtaking halfway down the straight. Of course, it’s not as exciting because you want to be doing it in the corner, launching it up the inside of another car.
“But it doesn’t bother me. You still have to try and get in the position to be able to utilise it.”