Jack Doohan’s gnarly FP2 crash ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix raised concerns that Formula 1’s drag reduction system (DRS) may need an overhaul.

Particularly, the concern has centered around whether DRS, which is currently a driver-controlled system, should be made automatic — and drivers are split on the matter.

Jack Doohan crash divides F1 grid on automatic DRS

Formula 1 drivers are at odds about the concept of automatic DRS shut-offs after Jack Doohan’s nasty crash in Free Practice 2 at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Heading into Turn 1, Doohan careened into the tyre barrier, smashing his Alpine A525 to pieces. According to the team, the crash resulted because Doohan had failed to manually switch off DRS; as a result, he lost control when he turned into the corner.

DRS must currently be manually shut off by drivers braking, lifting off the throttle a certain amount, or manually pressing the DRS button. But some drivers have raised concerns that the manual shut-off is perhaps too dangerous.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was one of the drivers who was willing to play with the suggestion of automatic DRS shut-off.

“I feel like, if we have some kind of system like this, I think we can maybe use it and have more DRS like before Turn 1 in Silverstone, I think is a good example, and here with 130R, there’s a huge straight and it’s a bit of a shame that we don’t use this kind of straights to do it,” the Monegasque driver told media after the Japanese Grand Prix.

“But I also feel like it can be up to us.

“Like, Turn 1 in Silverstone, when we had it, I thought it was quite cool, because you have to be very brave into Turn 1 to give the DRS and there was something to gain out of it.”

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But Formula 1 Grand Prix Drivers’ Association directors Carlos Sainz and George Russell were at odds.

“Obviously what happened to Jack was a big shunt and very unfortunate, but I think it’s one of those that you’ll see happen once, and everybody will recognize this is probably the only corner of the whole calendar that it’s a problem,” the Mercedes driver explained to media.

“As drivers, you have responsibilities. We’ve got to go flat out down the straight and turn into the corners and you know, clicking the button to turn the DRS off is part of the job.

“We don’t want it to be automated. We’ve got to leave it down to the drivers. There’s already too many gadgets assisting us.”

Sainz, however, took a much different view when asked about the concern after qualifying.

“Safety’s still the main priority always with these cars, especially with the speeds we’re doing,” the Spaniard explained.

“Any other era of F1 Jack is not walking today.

“So we need to keep making progress. If we are going to make the cars as fast as they are nowadays, we need to keep making progress with safety.

“I felt I was quite vocal [on Friday] in saying I’m surprised this hasn’t happened more often, because I’ve had moments where I mis-pressed the DRS button and it stayed open and it gives you a massive snap and a massive fright going into a corner like Turn 1 here, Shanghai Turn 1, Australia Turn 9.

“We have too many of these corners where it’s down to the driver almost to close it, and down to the DRS to do a good job on recovery.

“I’m afraid there haven’t been enough of these crashes in order to prove that maybe we need to work on safety in this item.

“But I hope [Doohan’s] crash shows that we need to make something that automatically- 100 metres, 50 metres before the braking, it shuts, so you don’t get the chance for the driver to make a mistake or for DRS to fail, if it doesn’t close. [And] it gives you a bit of warning that if it hasn’t been closed by the FIA, you still need to close it.

“So, also going into next year with all this downforce thing that they want to adjust, it’s important, I think, for us that they come up with something automatic.”

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