Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has sharply criticized recent changes in Formula 1, especially the sport’s shift toward giving cars an aerodynamic advantage, which includes the Drag Reduction System (DRS). He also strongly disagrees with the addition of sprint races, calling them “absolutely shambolic” as F1 tries to make the sport more entertaining.
Jordan is known for speaking his mind, and his views on these topics have sparked plenty of discussion. One of the key points he raised is about DRS, which has been in use since 2011. This system gives an advantage to the driver who is trailing, by opening a flap on the rear wing of the car to reduce drag and improve aerodynamics.
This helps the trailing driver close the gap and attempt an overtaking maneuver, but it has also led to arguments about whether it takes away from the true nature of racing.
Jordan, 76, called DRS a “farce” and argued that it unfairly helps the car behind. He compared it to a boxer fighting with one hand tied behind their back. Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast with former driver David Coulthard, he said:
“DRS is fundamentally false.
“We saw an outrageous race in Brazil. Let’s assume Lando gets the jump at the start of the race.
“Lap three, he hasn’t quite broken the one-second mark, and let’s say it’s Leclerc who is close enough to him, he’s got the DRS, and he comes bounding up the hill and suddenly, bang – he’s through.
“That’s not a fight. That’s like having a boxer with one hand tied behind his back for that particular moment. It’s an unfair advantage, isn’t it?
“He hasn’t got all the facilities to be able to defend himself. I’m of the opinion, if you can’t do it fairly and squarely, why punish a good driver for just giving up a spot?
“[It is] because that stupid rule, DRS, is in play. I’m not in favour of it. I’m old-fashioned, call me what you like.”
Jordan also criticized the sprint races introduced in Formula 1 in 2021. These shorter races added extra qualifying sessions and a condensed version of Sunday’s Grand Prix, making the weekends more crowded and rushed. He described the sprint races as a “con” and said:
“The sprint races, for me, are a complete con, a complete sham.
“They do nothing for me and I haven’t seen a decent one yet.
“I think it’s time – we’ve had it, we’ve seen it. Make sure those sprint races are for the rookies coming through, but for the main drivers, [it’s] absolutely shambolic.”
