The FIA is to restrict the DRS use for 2013, meaning in Qualifying and Practice it can only be used in certain zones.
Currently cars can use DRS wherever they please in Practice and Qualifying, with just the race being restricted to certain zones.
The device debuted in the sport last year and has been seen to be a big success, boosting overtaking and making practice and qualifying laps more challenging.
However Charlie Whiting, FIA technical delegate, recently informed teams that he was no longer happy with the use of the device in practice and qualifying because it was unsafe, with the risk of drivers deploying it too early and losing control.
"We are going to prohibit the use of the DRS during practice and qualifying except in the places where it's going to be used in the race," said Whiting.
"It's something that we told the teams about the other day, that we are doing it for safety reasons.
There have been a number of incidents and drivers have told me that it's becoming increasingly prevalent [for the early deployment of DRS to cause problems].
"One could argue that the early deployment of the DRS is not much different to early deployment of the throttle, but the DRS is an on/off switch whereas the throttle can be modulated."
He also revealed that the change will not reduce overtaking.
"The whole point of the DRS was to improve overtaking opportunities in the race,"
"We didn't really want to have it used in qualifying and practice before but we were worried that we may not have effective DRS systems.
"Now I believe [based on] all the information we have, we should not see any reduction in the power of the DRS.
"Teams will still use it because even though they're allowed to use it in perhaps two places on the circuit, the benefit will still be there.
"I'm sure that it will work just as it does now."
The restriction of its use in practice and qualifying will eliminate the risk of using it and deploying it too early. I think it is a shame too, and will help favour cars with top line speed. However I see the point of the safety worries, but we have not seen too many incidents over the past 2 years.
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The device debuted in the sport last year and has been seen to be a big success, boosting overtaking and making practice and qualifying laps more challenging.
However Charlie Whiting, FIA technical delegate, recently informed teams that he was no longer happy with the use of the device in practice and qualifying because it was unsafe, with the risk of drivers deploying it too early and losing control.
"We are going to prohibit the use of the DRS during practice and qualifying except in the places where it's going to be used in the race," said Whiting.
"It's something that we told the teams about the other day, that we are doing it for safety reasons.
There have been a number of incidents and drivers have told me that it's becoming increasingly prevalent [for the early deployment of DRS to cause problems].
"One could argue that the early deployment of the DRS is not much different to early deployment of the throttle, but the DRS is an on/off switch whereas the throttle can be modulated."
He also revealed that the change will not reduce overtaking.
"The whole point of the DRS was to improve overtaking opportunities in the race,"
"We didn't really want to have it used in qualifying and practice before but we were worried that we may not have effective DRS systems.
"Now I believe [based on] all the information we have, we should not see any reduction in the power of the DRS.
"Teams will still use it because even though they're allowed to use it in perhaps two places on the circuit, the benefit will still be there.
"I'm sure that it will work just as it does now."
The restriction of its use in practice and qualifying will eliminate the risk of using it and deploying it too early. I think it is a shame too, and will help favour cars with top line speed. However I see the point of the safety worries, but we have not seen too many incidents over the past 2 years.
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