Carlos Sainz, newly appointed director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, has called for urgent modifications to Formula 1's DRS systems to enhance safety following a dramatic incident at Suzuka.
Alpine rookie Jack Doohan confessed to intentionally keeping his DRS rear-wing flap open while charging flat-out at 300kph into Turn 1 during practice, resulting in a severe crash. "Honestly, after trying to do that, I just want to leave it in the past and move on," the shaken Australian said.
Sainz, however, believes the current DRS setup leaves too much room for such risky decisions. "In any other era of Formula 1, Jack would not have been able to get back behind the wheel the next day after an accident like that," the Spaniard argued.
"If we are going to make cars as fast as they are now, we need to improve on safety as well. Because you can also do what Jack did in Shanghai at Turn 1 or Turn 9 in Australia. We have too many corners like this where the driver has to close the DRS himself."
He proposed a solution: "Hopefully this accident shows that there is a need to have a system that switches off the DRS 50 or 100 metres before the braking zone so that the driver doesn't have a chance to make a mistake."
On a personal note, Sainz, recently ousted from Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton, admitted he is still adjusting to his new Williams cockpit. "I'm still driving the car like a Williams should be driven, rather than how I'd like to drive a Formula 1 car," the 30-year-old explained.
Team principal James Vowles acknowledged the transition. "We have realised that Carlos has a very specific driving style from Ferrari," he said. "I can assure you that there is no difference between the cars of the two Williams drivers. And I very much doubt that Carlos will need more than five races to fully adapt to our car."
