What a DRS train is
A DRS train is one of the most frustrating patterns in modern F1. It happens when a line of cars forms on a straight, each one close enough to the car ahead to activate DRS, but not close enough to actually overtake. The result is a procession of cars that cannot pass each other, each one benefiting from the DRS of the car ahead, none of them able to make a move.
DRS trains are most common on circuits with long straights followed by heavy braking zones — places like Bahrain, Baku, and Mexico City.
Why DRS trains form
DRS trains form because of the way DRS works. If Car A is within one second of Car B at the detection point, Car A gets DRS. But Car A still needs to be fast enough on the straight to actually pass Car B. If the two cars are evenly matched, Car A may get close but not close enough. Meanwhile, Car C is within one second of Car A and gets DRS too. The chain continues.
The result is a train of cars that are all close enough to have DRS but not close enough to pass. It is one of the unintended consequences of a system designed to create more overtaking.
Why some circuits are worse than others
DRS trains are most common on circuits where the DRS zone is very long and the following car has a significant speed advantage on the straight. Bahrain's main straight is the classic example — it is so long that even a small DRS advantage creates a massive speed differential, but the braking zone at the end is so heavy that passing is still difficult.
Circuits with multiple DRS zones are less prone to DRS trains because the second zone gives the chasing car another opportunity to pass. But if the two cars are too evenly matched, even multiple DRS zones cannot break the train.
Will Active Aero fix DRS trains?
The 2026 Active Aero system is designed to make overtaking more varied and less dependent on a single straight-line advantage. By allowing drivers to adjust both front and rear wing elements, the system creates more opportunities for overtaking in different parts of the circuit, not just on the longest straights.
However, DRS trains may not disappear entirely. If two cars are evenly matched and the circuit has long straights, the fundamental physics of following another car through dirty air will still create similar patterns. Active Aero will make the trains shorter and less frequent, but it will not eliminate them.