{"id":2353,"date":"2026-02-20T10:35:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T09:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatthesports.de\/?p=2353"},"modified":"2026-03-03T21:04:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:04:01","slug":"basketball-basics-understanding-the-shot-clock-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatthesports.de\/en\/basketball-basics-understanding-the-shot-clock-4\/","title":{"rendered":"What is DRS in Formula 1? Simply explained!"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Formula 1 for beginners\n<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What is DRS in Formula 1? Simply explained! <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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If you watch a Formula 1 race, one term is guaranteed to come up on almost every lap: DRS<\/strong>.<\/p>

But what is it actually? How does it work and why do Formula 1 cars need DRS in the first place? We make Formula 1 understandable for you, so here’s everything you need to know about the Drag Reduction System. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Okay, so what is the DRS and how does it work?<\/h2>

DRS stands for Drag Reduction System. It was introduced in 2011 to solve a huge problem in Formula 1: overtaking. <\/p>

Surprisingly, this is not so easy.<\/p>

Let me explain it to you a little more figuratively.
When an F1 car is driving, the air logically glides over the car.<\/p>

The large rear wing on such a car is positioned steeply in the wind and thus ensures massive downforce (the car is pressed down onto the ground to gain more grip). This ensures that the car is extremely fast in corners. <\/p>

On long gradients, however, the rear wing also generates enormous air resistance. A bit like a sail, which ensures that the car is slowed down. In addition, the rear wing produces the so-called “dirty air” (it ensures that the air behind it “swirls” and thus becomes “dirty”). A pursuing car loses grip in this air and cannot get close enough to overtake. <\/p>

And this is exactly where the DRS comes into play: at the touch of a button, the driver folds part of the rear wing flat. This ensures that the air can now flow almost unhindered through the wing instead of bouncing against it. And this, in turn, reduces the air resistance abruptly, the car is slowed down less and “slips through the air more easily. This alone gives it a massive increase in speed<\/strong> – often between 10 and 12 km\/h – without any additional engine power<\/strong>. As soon as the driver brakes or presses the button again, the wing closes again. <\/p>

It’s as if you suddenly move from an upright position to a low position on the handlebars to give the wind less of an attack surface.<\/p>

When can the DRS be used?<\/h3>

The system is not a permanent turbo, but is subject to strict rules:<\/p>