The co-directors of GPDA have differing opinions regarding the crash involving Doohan and DRS.

      "I don’t believe we need to take any action."

      The two co-directors of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association are not in agreement regarding Jack Doohan’s significant crash at Suzuka. Facing considerable pressure to retain his seat at Alpine, rookie Doohan acknowledged that he left his DRS rear wing flap open while taking turn 1 at Suzuka at full speed during practice, which led to a dramatic crash.

      "Hopefully this incident highlights the necessity for a system that disables the DRS 50 or 100 meters before the braking zone, preventing drivers from making mistakes," said Carlos Sainz, the newly-appointed GPDA co-director, during the event in Japan last weekend.

      However, his co-director, seasoned GPDA member and Mercedes driver George Russell, disagrees. "Clearly, what happened to Jack was a serious accident, and it's quite unfortunate," the British driver stated. "But this is one of those incidents that happens once, and everyone understands it’s likely the only corner on the whole calendar where this issue occurs. I don’t believe we need to take any action," Russell emphasized.

      "As drivers, we have responsibilities. We enter the first corner at full speed, and switching off the DRS is part of our duties. We don’t want it to be automated; we should allow the drivers to make that decision. There are already too many gadgets assisting us."