The use of DRS and KERS in GP2 and GP3

Pirelli tyres have been very good for the series, and has been one of the reason for these close battles, as the drivers have a challenge to look after their tyres. As the tyres reach the cliff, the pace will start going down and the drivers behind might be able to catch the gap in front. When drivers fight for a position they also lose time, which means more and more drivers behind can catch the gap and there can be 5 drivers fighting for a position, as seen in most races.

This is something that has been great to watch in the GP2 and GP3 this year. When the battles have been fair, it has been a huge pleasure to watch the young drivers fight it out on the track. There shouldn’t be any changes made, as it’s something the fans love to see.

It would also be dangerous to bring the DRS to these two series, if the action from the stewards stays in a way similar to the current period. Penalties haven’t been consistent during the season and this has led to multiple problems. The drivers should get penalised when they go against the rules, but this hasn’t been the case in all situations so far this season.

A couple of drivers have negotiated their car deliberately onto others, without getting a race ban. The maximum punishment was an exclusion from the session, where that particular incident has occurred. Imagine if two cars going head to head on a straight and the other driver has the DRS open and is about to make his move on the slower car ahead. Some drivers so far seem to be fiddling with danger, as they are taking the rules for granted, and if the DRS comes into play, we might see some needless collisions.

KERS, as a system, was dangerous when first introduced in Formula 1 due to the vast technicalities involved, and the mechanics weren’t equipped to deal with the system, but there has been no bigger problems from KERS in Formula 1 and therefore it would be possible to take the system for GP2 and GP3 as it would give a slight boost when the driver needs it.

Right now KERS would possibly be much more realistic and better choice for the Formula 1 feeder series than DRS, as it can be equipped with all cars, and all drivers would be able to use it at any point of time, and the drivers would get ideal preparation for their Formula 1 debut. Equipping the cars with DRS would ensure more chaos, which wouldn’t help a driver’s preparation.

Also, bringing the DRS and especially the KERS system to the support series would also increase costs, which is another negative point. The costs should stay low as otherwise it would be very difficult to keep the teams in the series. The GP2 series already saw two big teams leaving the sport after the 2012 season, as both iSport and Ocean Racing Technology left the series due to financial issues.

Keeping the financial constraints in mind, there should be no changes made for the GP2 cars in the next three years. This also means it wouldn’t be possible to bring KERS and DRS to the series at this point of time, until the economic conditions gradually improve across the world. The same thing goes with the other feeder series, as the GP3 car regulations changed this season, meaning the cars could stay similar for at least three more seasons.

It seems to be better idea to leave the series as they are right now, as they are both bring something that is rare in Formula 1 as of today, the head to head battles. Something that real racing is about.