DRS (Drag Reduction System) was part of F1 from 2011 to 2025. It was introduced to create more overtaking and criticised for making overtakes too easy. By 2023, the majority of DRS-enabled passes at high-speed circuits took the form of one car simply driving past another without any braking zone fight. This article explains what DRS was, why it was controversial, and what MOM is designed to do differently.
Key facts
DRS was a moveable rear wing flap that reduced drag on straights. It was available to a following car within 1 second of the car ahead at a detection point before a designated DRS zone.
DRS added approximately 0.5 to 0.8 seconds per lap advantage depending on the circuit and wing setup. At Monza, the advantage was higher (longer straights); at Monaco, DRS was rarely significant.
DRS was introduced for the 2011 season and removed ahead of 2026 when the new regulations arrived.
MOM (Manual Override Mode) replaced DRS. It provides 350kW additional electrical power to the following car within a detection distance of the car ahead, rather than a passive aerodynamic flap.
The fundamental difference: DRS reduced drag by opening a flap. MOM adds power electrically. A car with active aero closing the wings on a straight is already reducing drag; MOM is an additional boost on top.
How DRS worked
The DRS zone was a defined section of track, typically on a long straight. Before the zone, there was a detection point. If a car was within 1.000 second of the car ahead at the detection point, the following car's driver could activate DRS by pressing a button on the steering wheel.
When activated, a flap in the rear wing tilted to reduce its angle of attack. This cut aerodynamic drag and increased top speed by approximately 10 to 15 km/h on a typical straight. The effect disappeared as soon as the driver pressed the brake to turn into the corner.
Teams could not use DRS during the first two laps after the start or race restart, or during safety car periods. Outside of these restrictions, any car within one second at the detection point could activate.
Why DRS became controversial
DRS was introduced because overtaking rates in F1 had declined sharply with the aerodynamic complexity of 2010-era cars. The turbulent air (dirty air) produced by a leading car made it difficult for a following car to get close enough to attempt a pass. DRS was the FIA's attempt to compensate for this aerodynamic problem at a circuit level.
The problem was the calibration. On circuits with long straights and fast corners before them (Monza, Spa, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi), the DRS advantage was too large. A following car did not need to be faster overall, or better positioned in the braking zone. The DRS flap opened and the car drove past, with the pass complete 100 metres before the braking point.
This pattern was visible from the grandstand: a car on the straight closing at 20 km/h faster than the one ahead, passing without any braking battle, and the pass complete well before the corner. Television viewers saw the same thing. By 2022, some analysts estimated that the majority of recorded 'overtakes' at DRS-heavy circuits were pure DRS passes with no skill component.
Manual Override Mode is designed to produce a smaller, more calibrated advantage than DRS. The technical explanation of how MOM works is covered in detail in the article below.
Manual Override Mode ExplainedWhat MOM is designed to do differently
MOM provides 350kW of electrical power to the following car. This is a large but finite power boost. The effect on top speed is smaller than DRS at many circuits, and the activation window is designed so that the following car still needs to be close to the braking zone to convert the advantage into a pass.
The FIA's stated design goal was to create overtaking opportunities that require the following driver to use the braking zone, rather than completing the pass on the straight. In early 2026 races, the evidence was mixed: some passes were still straightforward, but more required late braking or defensive responses from the car ahead.
From the grandstand, the observable difference from DRS is the position at which passes are completed. DRS passes at high-speed circuits typically completed on the straight. Early MOM passes are completing closer to or inside the braking zone, which means they are more visible and more contested from the corner grandstands.
2026 Technical Series
Frequently asked questions
- What was DRS in F1?
- DRS (Drag Reduction System) was a moveable rear wing flap used in F1 from 2011 to 2025. A following car within 1 second of the car ahead at a detection point before a designated straight could open the flap to reduce drag and gain top speed. It added approximately 0.5 to 0.8 seconds per lap advantage depending on the circuit.
- Why was DRS removed from F1?
- DRS was removed because it created too many straightforward highway passes, particularly on circuits with long straights. By the early 2020s, a large proportion of recorded overtakes were simple DRS-enabled drives-by that required no skill in the braking zone. The FIA replaced it with Manual Override Mode in 2026 as part of the new regulation package, which is designed to produce smaller, more contested overtaking opportunities.
- What replaced DRS in F1 2026?
- Manual Override Mode (MOM) replaced DRS. MOM provides 350kW of additional electrical power to a following car within a detection distance of the car ahead, rather than passively reducing aerodynamic drag. The key distinction: DRS opened a flap to cut drag. MOM adds power electrically, which is a different and more controllable mechanism.
- When was DRS introduced in F1?
- DRS was introduced for the 2011 season. It was developed by the FIA in response to declining overtaking rates during the 2009 to 2010 period, when the aerodynamic complexity of that era made it very difficult for cars to run in close proximity.
- Did DRS work at all circuits the same way?
- No. DRS was significantly more powerful at circuits with long high-speed straights (Monza, Baku, Spa). At slow-circuit street tracks like Monaco, the DRS zones were short and the speed advantage was minimal. Critics of DRS noted that the same mechanical system produced very different results depending on circuit layout, from meaningless to race-deciding.
DRS introduction date (2011) and technical specification per FIA Sporting Regulations (2011). DRS removal confirmed in FIA 2026 Technical Regulations. MOM specification per FIA 2026 Sporting Regulations. Top speed advantage estimates sourced from published F1 technical analyses (2018-2025 seasons).
Related Articles
F1 2026 Regulations Explained: What Changed and Why It Matters at the Race
2026 introduced the biggest regulation change in a decade. Here is what is different about the cars, the overtaking system, and the sound, and what it means if you are attending a race for the first time.
Read ArticleActive Aero and Super Clipping at an F1 Race: What You Actually See
F1 2026 cars have wings that change angle during the lap. Here is what active aerodynamics and Super Clipping look like from a grandstand and how to identify when each is happening.
Read ArticleF1 Tyre Compounds, the Undercut, and the Overcut: How Strategy Works
Tyre compound selection and undercut or overcut timing are the main decisions teams make during a race. Here is what each compound does, what an undercut is, and how to identify strategy battles from the grandstand.
Read Article