Drudge-reduction System

Air used to be dirty in Formula One. 
Nowadays, it’s expectant – with a whiff of madness in it.
Ten years ago, the sport was in the Doldrums, glum and ho-hum: Schumacher’s Ferrari won and there was little or no overtaking. Taken as givens.
That’s changed. Yes, Vettel’s Red Bull has stamped its authority, but that by no means guarantees a procession.
Spa was indicative of this. Its DRS-enabled section up the Kemmel Straight was overly capacious and thus many of the open-slot-car overtakes were too breezily easy. But, tellingly, the sensational manoeuvres listed below were achieved elsewhere or without DRS:
Round the outside at Les Combes (Rosberg, to take the lead on lap one)
Down the inside at Rivage (Alonso and Schumacher)
Round the outside at Pouhon (Hamilton – or was it Button? It was that kind of race)

Down the inside at Blanchimont (Massa)

Round the outside at Blanchimont (Vettel)
Deep, deep, deep – inside and out – into the new Bus Stop (Button)
and, hold your nerve and breath…
At the bottoming of Eau Rouge (Wow, Mr Webber!)
The buzz of KERS, Pirelli’s blistering rate of wear and contrasting set-ups – Spa is a strange brew of high-speed top and tail conjoined by a gutsy high-downforce sector – each played their part in this pass-mastery. 

The jist is that DRS is fast becoming a button, a factor, too many, one that could perhaps be locked-off for 2012 and not be missed. 
The purest purists would rejoice at that. Even they, however, would have to admit that this mo-whizz gizmo has helped to engender a can-do attitude among the most talented gridful since the mid-1960s. Vitally, its influence, obviously visceral and confrontational in the main, possesses subtle shades, too. Not only did Alonso ease off and let Webber go because he didn’t want to be involved in a crash of potentially passenger-plane proportions, but also because he (rightly) believed that DRS would present him with an opportunity to repass.

Here, though, is the rub (of wheels, almost): Webber no doubt knew this, too, yet that didn’t prevent him from keeping his foot in and elbows out. He was ultimately and rightfully rewarded for his skill and bravery with a second place; Alonso was fourth.

See, DRS has mixed things up without mucking them up. Impressive. Even more impressiver: its give-and-'take eddies would surely still be felt were it to go.