GPDA co-directors disagree over Doohan-DRS crash

Apr.9 (GMM) The two co-directors of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association are not on the same page about Jack Doohan’s huge Suzuka crash.

Under immense pressure to keep his Alpine seat, rookie Doohan admits to leaving his DRS rear wing flap open as he took turn 1 at Suzuka flat-out in practice – resulting in an enormous crash.

“Hopefully this accident shows that there is a need to have a system that switches off the DRS 50 or 100 metres before the braking zone so that the driver doesn’t have a chance to make a mistake,” Carlos Sainz, the newly-appointed GPDA co-director, said last weekend in Japan.

However, the more established GPDA co-director, Mercedes driver George Russell, does not agree.

“Obviously what happened to Jack was a big accident, and it’s very unfortunate,” the Briton is quoted as saying by France’s Auto Hebdo.

“But it’s one of those things that you see happen once, and everyone recognises that it’s probably the only corner on the entire calendar where there’s this problem.

“I don’t think we need to do anything,” Russell insisted.

“As drivers, you have responsibilities. We come flat out into the first corner, and clicking the button to turn off DRS is part of our job. We don’t want it to be automated – we have to let the drivers decide.

“There are already too many gadgets helping us.”