Max Verstappen hails F1 rule change that will make battles more ‘interesting’

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen says the new DRS rules in Formula 1 will create some ‘interesting battles’ in 2024.

The drag reduction system is now activated at the end of the first lap of the race, rather than the end of the second as has been the case since the device’s inception in 2011.

And Verstappen, who won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, is optimistic it will be a positive change.

DRS allows drivers to open their rear wings when they are within one second of the car ahead at a detection point.

It’s a system designed to encourage overtake, boosting a car’s straight-line speed.

Verstappen was able to escape the DRS threat from Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at the start of Saturday’s race.

BBC F1 commentator Harry Benjamin says the Dutchman put his rival ‘in his place’ by covering him off into the first corner.

Max Verstappen a fan of new F1 DRS rules

Speaking in the post-race press conference, Verstappen explained that drivers will be torn between saving their tyres and attacking to open up or prevent overtaking opportunities.

He pointed out the new rules will be particularly impactful on tracks with ‘very powerful’ DRS zones.

“Yeah, I mean, also from my side, knowing how much to push or not,” he said. “I think the first lap, Charles, was in the DRS at least once.

“But yeah, you want to push and save your tyres, so it’s making that decision.

“But for sure, on some tracks, it will be quite tricky because the DRS can be very powerful.

“So it might create some, let’s say, interesting battles or situations.”

Verstappen expecting more competition in 2024

Verstappen won the season-opener by a whopping 22 seconds from teammate Sergio Perez, so some may expect him to brush off the enhanced DRS threat.

The three-time world champion won a record-breaking 19 races last season, including an unprecedented 10 in a row.

However, the 26-year-old has predicted that he’ll fail to win half of this year’s 24 Grands Prix.

Rivals Ferrari showed some promise during qualifying on Friday, with Leclerc setting the fastest time of the session in Q2.