Vettel: 'DRS not my idea of overtaking'

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Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel doesn't want F1's 'Drag Reduction System' to be made more important and therefore facilitate overtaking maneuvers.

The current leader of the world championship who has raked in two wins this year believes that increasing DRS zones would lead to easier overtaking which defeats the purpose of racing.

"First of all I don’t think I’m in favour of increasing the DRS zones," said Vettel.

"I think we have been a couple of years ago introducing it to some races where it was just way too easy.

" It was great when you were behind because you just sailed past but that’s not the idea of an overtake."

Vettel disputed the fact that Sochi's lack of overtaking was caused by insufficient DRS.

"I think for many reasons in Sochi it was quite difficult to overtake. The tyres lasted fairly well so you were able to push whether you were in front or behind so there wasn’t much degradation helping you come with an advantage on tyres.

"The track layout doesn’t make it very easy to follow close which we’ve seen in the past as well. Historically here the last corner makes it quite difficult to get really close for the straight line."

Despite his failed attempt in Sochi to mount an overtaking attack on future winner Valtteri Bottas in the closing stages of the race, Vettel agrees that passing should inherently be a difficult exercise.

"Personally I would have loved to be closer and then try to do something but it’s also a challenge so you need to not just arrive and then driver past, or have some tool that puts you side-by-side," he said.

"You have to work for it, try different lines, do different things.

"I think in Sochi I just arrived too late it was perhaps the last three, two laps where I was maybe getting closer.

"But before that it was exciting, for me, to chase him down to try and do something at the end. Obviously it would have been great if it would have worked. It didn’t, I was looking forward to it maybe as much as you were.”

"Some days it works and some days it doesn’t. I think we shouldn’t get into a window again where it’s artificial."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.