F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Disappointed In Recent FIA Decision - "Should Be For More Racing, Not Against It"
Amidst discussions around the new track section, Lewis Hamilton voiced his frustration over the FIA's choice not to include an additional DRS zone. Hamilton's sentiment aligns with several drivers who feel opportunities for more dynamic racing are being restricted.
Key Takeaways:
- DRS Debate: A DRS zone in the new track section emerged as a focal discussion, complicated by the track's kink, crown, and bumpy nature. The FIA sought feedback from teams, but many were prioritizing upcoming races, making Singapore less of a concern.
- Mixed Feedback: Three teams opposed the new zone, two remained neutral, and five abstained from responding. Only after sampling the track in simulators did drivers voice concerns over the missing DRS zone, leading the GPDA to pen a letter supporting its addition.
- Hamilton's Perspective: The seven-time World Champion was vocally disheartened by the decision. He expressed his belief that all teams should advocate for more competitive racing and showed concern that some teams seemed resistant to that idea.
The DRS zone debate was triggered by alterations to the track, where a lengthened straight has temporarily replaced four corners. The FIA's outreach for feedback in June saw the matter sidelined as teams focused on imminent races. However, with a number of teams opposing and others remaining neutral, this played a major part in the decision against the extra DRS zone.
When race drivers familiarised themselves with the new track layout using their simulation sessions ahead of the weekend, many wondered about the absence of an extra DRS zone. This led the GPDA to write a letter to the FIA, unanimously backing the addition.
Despite the surge of support and even with the logistical challenges of a last-minute addition, the FIA requested a team vote. However, the unanimous agreement required for a change was not achieved.
The debate resurfaced in the drivers' briefing, with GPDA director and Mercedes driver George Russell emphasising the merits of the additional DRS zone.
"The teams should be for more racing, not against it. And it's interesting to have few teams that are against it."
Valtteri Bottas also championed the change, suggesting a DRS zone could have initiated post-kink to make races more engaging:
"I think it should be there," he told the press. "The worst case straight after the kink. I think it would be a great opportunity to make this a bit more interesting race to watch. I think all the drivers were wanting that change."
Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg diminished any apprehensions over safety, highlighting that the speed and subsequent downforce would pose no additional danger:
"There would be no problem with DRS, at that speed already there's so much downforce on the rear there," he insisted. "I don't think from my point of view that there would have been a safety concern.
"Some drivers were asking for it, but it was a bit too late. You only really know after the race, it might be also that if you do it it might be way too easy to overtake.
"We don't really know until we race here. So I guess we do it like this now, and then review for next year."