Note: DRS was retired at the end of the 2025 season. This page explains the system as it worked during its 2011–2025 era; for how overtaking works under the current rules, see Manual Override Mode and active aerodynamics.
DRS stood for Drag Reduction System — Formula 1's main overtaking aid from 2011 to 2025. It was a driver-operated device that opened a flap in the car's rear wing on the straights. With the flap open, the wing created less aerodynamic drag, so the car reached a higher top speed, making it easier for a chasing driver to catch and pass the car in front.
It could only be used under strict conditions:
- Only within designated DRS zones marked on each circuit's straights.
- Only when a driver was within one second of the car ahead at a detection point.
- Not in the opening laps of a race, and not when race control disabled it in wet or otherwise unsafe conditions.
DRS closed automatically the moment the driver braked. It was introduced in 2011 to promote overtaking, since following closely through corners in modern F1 cars is difficult due to the turbulent air they create.
Why it was dropped: for 2026, F1 replaced DRS with active aerodynamics — movable front and rear wings with a low-drag straight-line mode and a high-downforce cornering mode — combined with an electrical Manual Override Mode that gives a chasing driver a battery-powered boost. Together they took over DRS's overtaking-aid role under the new regulations.