Oscar Piastri has said goodbye to his longtime companion, DRS.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has proclaimed “goodbye old friend, DRS” after Formula 1 announced that DRS will be axed in 2026 in favour of a power boost.
Oscar Piastri has had a somewhat complicated relationship with the Drag Reduction System that’s been used in Formula 1 since 2011, and that’s also in Formula 3 and Formula 2.
The end of a complicated relationship
After initially stating in 2020 that DRS was giving him conflicting messages and their connection was temporarily suspended, he later conveyed that they had repaired their relationship.
Nevertheless, the deteriorating relationship led the Australian to express his frustration on Twitter, stating, “It appears that DRS has instructed the rest of my car to cease functioning. DRS, that was a disrespectful action.” The tweets were signed off as “old friend.”
Despite the improvements in his relationship with DRS as he progressed to join McLaren in Formula 1 in 2023, there were still some lingering issues, primarily related to DRS trains.
Unfortunately, the relationship is approaching its conclusion as Formula 1 has recently declared that they will be replacing DRS with a power boost starting in 2026.
Piastri bid farewell to DRS in his response to the F1 post on X, commenting, “Farewell, old friend DRS.”
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Starting from 2026, Formula 1 will witness the introduction of not only new engines but also lighter and smaller cars on the grid.
When asked about his concerns regarding the potential increase in gaps caused by the new regulations, the McLaren driver responded by highlighting the significant impact that previous regulation changes, particularly in 2014 with the introduction of new engines, had on creating a substantial divide and initiating a prolonged era of dominance.
With these regulations, I believe we are finally beginning to keep pace with Red Bull consistently, week after week.
“In my opinion, being at the forefront of technology and innovation holds great significance for our role in society, and I believe that has always been a fundamental aspect of F1.”
“And one could argue that occasionally, this does indeed result in a compromise on the racing aspect, which is truly regrettable.”
In 2026, it is highly likely that the teams will become more distinct, primarily due to varying aerodynamic and engine regulations. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a greater disparity among the teams, with a higher probability of them being more widely dispersed compared to the current scenario.
“However, we will need to be patient and see what happens.”
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