Lewis Hamilton criticizes the teams that refused the 4th DRS zone in Singapore
The Singapore track has undergone a layout change this year. Four corners were removed to create a straight line where a DRS zone could have been implemented. Four teams rejected it, a decision that Lewis Hamilton doesn't understand.
It was the big question at the beginning of the weekend. Why wasn’t a fourth DRS zone introduced in Singapore? Due to construction work carried out on the waterfront, the turns at the grandstand level were removed. As a result, the former turns 16, 17, 18, and 19 were replaced by a long straight.
Aware of these works for several months, the FIA had asked the ten teams to test the new track on a simulator. It was requested to try this version of the Singapore circuit with a DRS (Drag Reduction System), and to evaluate the risks of having a small bump in the middle of the straight.
But the teams focused more on the summer Grand Prix tests rather than on the one in Singapore. At that time, several teams had refused the addition of a DRS zone here. But, on the eve of the first tests, the subject was brought up again. The GPDA indicated that the teams were finally in agreement to introduce this new zone.
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But when the FIA asked the teams for their final choice, four of them withdrew and declined the offer. Knowing that unanimity is required to modify the track, the circuit remained unchanged. A decision that Lewis Hamilton doesn’t understand.
« I think we need the DRS in this new final section, which all the drivers have requested from the FIA. And the FIA has asked all the teams and some have refused », indicates the Mercedes driver. « The teams should be for it, not against it. And it’s interesting to have a few teams that are against it. »
Some drivers justified this choice because of the presence of a break in the middle of the straight line. This small curve would not ensure safety in this area. For example, Valtteri Bottas suggested starting it quite late to avoid any risk.
