Fernando Alonso believes that "easy" overtaking in last years Azerbaijan and Miami Grands Prix is what prompted the change to the DRS zones in 2023. Ahead of the season the F1 Commission said it would change the zones in five races including Baku and Miami to fine-tune the overtaking opportunities for drivers, however in the last race drivers found it difficult to follow closely. This drew criticism from drivers who claimed that the FIA did not consult them first before making the changes. Alonso believes it was the right move to shorten the DRS zones, but says it can be car-specific on who it benefits. "It was the easiest here last year, apparently, so that's why I think the FIA shortened the DRS," he explained to media, including RacingNews365.com . "In Baku also it was one of the easiest last year, so they shortened the DRS. I heard Lewis was saying that the DRS was too short, which I think for them [Mercedes] with the high downforce it was too short. "For Red Bull it was too long because in the start/finish line he overtook Leclerc and he was already on the outside for braking into Turn 1." The Aston Martin driver echoed the concerns of other drivers, who have also claimed that it has become more difficult to follow in the 'dirty air' generated by the cars. "I guess it was about the calculation that FIA do, after they saw last year the races Baku and Miami were on the high side in terms of overtaking and how easy it was so that's why they shorten it," he continued. "Even if it's true this year that it seems a bit more difficult to follow cars - that's 100% Correct. But Red Bull it seems that the DRS zones are too long [for them]."
Alonso: We need to give regulations more time
The 'new era' F1 regulations were introduced last year with the intention of closing the pack, which has happened to all the teams apart from Red Bull. Alonso thinks the new regulations need more time to mature before any drastic changes are made to close the gaps. "There were higher expectations on following cars and maybe having the grid to be closer together but either I think we need to give a little bit more time. "If we didn't have the Red Bull that much ahead, I think it would be a very interesting fight with three or four teams within one or two tenths - we would be saying they were a success.
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