DRS isn't the only cause of blow by passing

[Seanspeed]

In the last lap of Imola, Max's battery was at 30% and Norris's was at 60%. All Norris needed was a couple more laps. And when he caught him , he'd blow not just because of DRS but because hed deploying that 50% electric power advantage

If Norris had the ability to 'blow by' Verstappen, it would largely been because of a large tire grip advantage + DRS.

Because if Verstappen really got put under super tight pressure, he'd have ensured he was saving all his energy for the basically one and only real overtaking spot on the circuit to defend.

It's really not this big advantage you're thinking. Especially when Norris was only like 0.4s or so faster than Verstappen, which means he might not have found a clear overtaking opportunity even with 3-4 more laps. And I suspect that even if an opportunity presented itself, it would not have been any kind of 'blow by' pass at all, but something he'd have to really fight for.

Look man, you had a theory that sounded right in your head, put it to paper, but it doesn't hold up. That's ok! I've done it before as well, but had to accept against better reasoning that I hadn't thought things through well enough. You should do the same here. It's not so bad, it's good to learn things and also good to be humbled once in a while and realize our notions are not always so ironclad as we may initially think. Even if you're very smart, we can miss things and other people can provide useful counter perspectives to help fill out the gaps you had in your theory.

[PlatinumZealot]

In the last lap of Imola, Max's battery was at 30% and Norris's was at 60%. All Norris needed was a couple more laps. And when he caught him , he'd blow not just because of DRS but because hed deploying that 50% electric power advantage

That doesn't matter really as peak power that MGU-K provides to the rear wheels is capped. Also, Verstappen just had to not deploy over the lap and save it for the main straight to cover the attack. What was holding Verstappen back is that his tires were gone and he would loose on traction from the final corner and Norris would be able to pass. Speaking of that, Norris wasn't closing much on straight without DRS, he was mostly closing in first two chicanes. He would then loose time in Sector 2 where two of the straights are and get some on the exit of final two corners.

Max was depleting his power to stay ahead. And if the race was any longer, the point of Max with full battery depletion and Norris with a charged battery would have been the point that the pass happened.

It is no coincidence that the slower car in front always has a lower charged battery that the faster car chasing. Its almost never the other way around.

Let's say Lando passed... In like what? 10 laps? Not exactly a blow by is it? And it would have been thrilling entertainment! So, again the evidence goes against your theory that the hybrid makes passing easier and the race less entertaining.

[feni_remmen]

This is an interesting thought, but I’d suggest the tyre situation alone would justify removing DRS. Now we have some sprint races, I’d like to see the associated Grand Prix run with the DRS not being available, so it becomes a more traditional exercise of tyre management plus managing your strategy with interval management in mind. Being able to blow by anyone does devalue the f1 brand and also leads to dull racing in a different way to the traditional F1 sleepfeats.

DRS fundamentally changed the approach to a Grand Prix, allowing drivers to optimise their strategy without accounting for the risk of being stuck behind someone else. It really freed up the options, but it also locked teams into their own natural pace, rather than the pace dictated by their in race situation.

Having cars in front and others not being able to pass is a feature that’s lost and often missed.

I’d like to see the question posed here put to the test.

[DenBommer]

I wasn't a fan of DRS for a while. But now that it will probably be removed in 2026, I think I will miss DRS.

In a way, it adds something to the challenge of pushing to get within that one-second window, and you can physically see the effect on the car when DRS is used. And maybe it's just me, but this season, it seems like having DRS is not a guaranteed way to overtake.