The contribution of the new rules in numbers
After introducing major new rules, including the DRS system on the rear wing and the return of the tire manufacturer Pirelli, it was time for Formula 1 to review the number of overtakes and pit stops since the start of the season. Mercedes addressed this in a Q&A session, allowing you to catch up.
How many overtakes were made in the first nine races?
The total number of overtakes during the first nine races is 623, including passes between teammates and overtakes by faster cars on the last three teams. This does not include overtakes on the first lap or due to damage.
What is the distribution of these maneuvers?
« Out of the 623 overtakes, 175 are by faster cars on the three smaller teams, and 43 were between teammates. There are 180 overtakes assisted by DRS, and 225 normal (without DRS). »
Which races had the most overtakes?
« The top 3 races, using the total sum, are Montreal (136), Istanbul (123), and Shanghai (97). The poorest were Monaco (22), Silverstone (29), and Melbourne (30).
Interestingly, the Valencia race saw 44 overtakes, twice as many as in Monaco. Among them, 16 took place in the first DRS zone and 6 in the second.
What has been the influence of DRS on overtaking?
« The DRS was useful in 29% of overtaking maneuvers in 2011. It was more useful than normal in four races: Shanghai (33%), Istanbul (41%), Barcelona (35%), and Valencia (50%). The highest number of overtakes due to DRS was in Istanbul (50 overtakes), followed by Shanghai (31) and Barcelona (29). The lowest were in Monaco (2 overtakes), Melbourne (5), and Silverstone (6). »
What is the balance between normal overtakes and those assisted by DRS?
The race in which the gap between normal overtakes and DRS-assisted overtakes was the largest is Valencia: 50% of the overtakes were assisted by the system compared to 11% without it. It was the opposite in Monaco, with 64% normal passes against 9% with DRS. The other extreme was at Silverstone, with 55% normal overtakes for 21% with DRS.
How many overtakes were made in the first lap?
While one could argue that the new rules have reduced the importance of track position in the early laps of the race, a good first lap remains an important asset. Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher have rarely lost positions in the first lap. Michael achieved a gain of three or more places on four occasions, the best being a gain of five places in Shanghai.
How did the new tires affect the race?
« Of all the ‘normal’ overtakes, a little over 55% occurred when the tire life difference between the two cars was less than five laps, and 45% when it was over five laps. Of the 180 overtakes with DRS, 52% had a tire difference of less than 5 laps, and 48% more than five laps. The race where the tire age difference had the most impact was Barcelona, when the ‘old’ tires accounted for 69% of the overtakes. Conversely, the races that were not much influenced by this were the wet races, in Montreal and Silverstone. »
How many pit stops were there in 2011?
In nine races, there were a total of 560 pit stops (the total includes penalties). Of these, 11 were drive-through penalties (passing through the pits without stopping), and 4 were stop-and-go penalties (10 seconds of stop). The race with the most stops was Istanbul (82), followed by Barcelona (77) and Montreal (76). The fewest stops were in Monaco (43), Melbourne (46), and Silverstone (54). Two races saw no penalties given – Barcelona and Valencia. The race with the most penalties was Montreal, with four drive-through penalties given.
