Formula One’s governing body has been criticised heavily this season for a variety of reasons. The two race director solution to the exiting Michael Massi has seen different interpretations of the sporting regulations applied to similar situations creating criticism from the drivers for a ‘lack of consistency’.

However, credit should be given where its due and F1’s race control extended the DRS zone in Zandvoort to try and reduce the difficulty the drivers experienced in 2021 when overtaking. 

The result was an improved experience for the fans, more overtakes and even without the VSC and the Safety Car the Mercedes one stop strategy had set up a chase for Verstappen to overtake Russell and Hamilton on fresher rubber to win the race.

The F1 circus will next pitch its tents in Italy where the crowd will for the first time since 2020 be at capacity as the expectant Tifosi will be hoping for a trouble free weekend for Ferarri and a win.

The Italian GP this weekend will be the third race in a triple header and the FIA have tinkered with the DRS zones. There will again be two DRS

Race control have decided to leave the first zone as it was in 2021. The detection point is 95m before the apex of the Lesmo 2 corner with the activation point 170m after the corner on the run down to the Ascari chicane.

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The interesting decision made by the FIA officers is to move the detection point for the second DRS zone.

In 2021 it was 20 metres before the final Parabolica corner but for the 2022 Italian GP it is now 20 metres after the 180 degree turn

has made a minor tweak to one of the DRS zones ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.

As per the 2021 event Monza will feature two DRS zones.

The first activation point is 170 metres after Lesmo 2, with the detection point 95 metres before the apex, while the second activation point is 115 metres after the finish line.

However in a small tweak from 2021, and compared to the first circuit map issued on Tuesday, the detection point for the second zone has been shifted.

It was previously 20 metres before the entry of Parabolica but will now be located 20 metres after the exit of the long-radius 180-degree right-hander.

The activation point is as it was last season and is 115 metres after the start finish line.

The effect the FIA are hoping to create is to concertina the cars together after the straight out of Ascari and into Parabolica therefore they should be closer at the detection point now placed on the main straight.

During the 2021 Italian GP, Verstappen repeatedly reported “it’s really hard to get close” as he followed race leader Daniel Ricciardo. This DRS tweak should mean more cars catch the detection point in this years Monza race and have the DRS to make an overtake.

The effect of the DRS in 2021 was just 0.25 seconds which proved to be too small a performance advantage to facilitate overtaking.

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Monza. They sure don’t build them like this anymore 😍

Lewis and George preview the #ItalianGP with @PET_Motorsports 💚 pic.twitter.com/8hXXZL5TMT

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) September 8, 2022