Raikkonen: “DRS Is Ridiculous”

Kimi Raikkonen has spoken his mind about DRS, stating that passing is no longer an art in Formula 1. The Drag Reduction System was introduced last season to improve overtaking, and although it visually aided overtaking on track, there’s no denying it has turned overtaking into a mere formality and not a hard fought battle like the past.

The returning World Champion stopped watching Formula 1 when he left after the 2009 season, and instead attempted a career in the World Rally Championship as well as several races in Nascar. It was attempting Nascar where Raikkonen re-ignited his spark to contest races once again, and coupled with the prolonged absence of Robert Kubica signed to replace him for 2012.

It was last season that Kimi Raikkonen began watching Formula 1 races again on TV, and it was watching these races when he got his first taste of how the DRS effected the course of a race.

“The way the DRS wings work is for me a little ridiculous, overtaking is not really a great art anymore.” Explained the 2007 World Champion, after two days behind his 2012 Lotus, “You just put the wing down and go past easily, the guy in front can’t really do anything. But I agree that at least it makes the show better.”

Yesterday Kimi Raikkonen topped the timing sheets in Day 1 of the first pre-season test at Jerez. Today he ended up 5th after a day which saw him take several trips into the gravel trap, however the Finn remains happy about his return to F1 so far.