In the second year of the 2022 ground-effect machine era, following other cars in traffic has become more difficult as teams have found ways to increase vehicle downforce, making overtaking increasingly difficult.

Last week’s lackluster Azerbaijan Grand Prix painfully underscored the lack of action on a street circuit once famous for its wild racing on its iconic 2km straight.

But despite the race becoming more parade, the FIA ​​has decided to shorten the DRS zones for Azerbaijan and this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix based on figures from last year’s event.

Doubts about the shorter DRS zone were raised at the drivers’ meeting in Baku, but no changes were made and, according to Russell, last Sunday’s tepid race “spoken for itself”.

“I don’t think all of us really understand why they were cut short,” he said Thursday in Miami.

“We were not consulted on this and we were not consulted. I think the game speaks for itself in Baku. Obviously, in Baku, time is too short.”

As GPDA chief, Russell hopes to hold talks with F1 and the FIA ​​to see what can be done to make racing more entertaining.

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

Photography: Andy Horn / motorsport pictures

“Of course we will discuss this with the FIA ​​and F1 because we want to be able to race,” he said.

“We want to be able to fight like we do in karts without aerodynamics. That’s the ultimate dream.

“I think our sport took a good turn when these new cars came out, but we need to go a step further now.”

Russell doesn’t want to see a knee-jerk reaction to the growing problem, but he points out that DRS isn’t the only factor at play.

Previously, world champion Max Verstappen highlighted the challenge of following the car in low-speed corners due to the added weight of the current mechanicals and stiff suspension.

Tire degradation has also been reduced in recent races, allowing most drivers to finish a race in Baku with super-long stints on the hard track.

A lack of strategic differentiation and tire drop reduces one of the surest ways to facilitate overtaking.

“At the end of the day, we all want the most exciting games, and there are probably some easier ways to achieve that in the short term,” Russell added.

“Regarding tire degradation, it has been easy to one-stop in the last couple of races.

“When everyone is giving it their all, there is less excitement. Clearly DRS is going in the wrong direction.

“There should never be a knee-jerk reaction, but we were talking about it before the Baku game, and then the game was obviously dull like we all expected, so…

“Obviously, we’re pushing Pirelli to provide good, consistent tyres. Drivers, myself included, don’t like it when (tire management) is difficult.

“But in an ideal world you have a really strong tire and it’s going to fall off a cliff at some point, which means you have to do a few more pit stops and give us some different opportunities.”

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23

Photography: Mark Sutton/ motorsport pictures

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz believes that, given the near unanimity on the issue, the drivers should make a greater effort to try and make their voices heard.

“We haven’t been asked about it, and it hasn’t been brought up in a meeting or one of these larger committees that they do,” he said.

“We’re trying to get the drivers more involved in these commissions, more involved, because I think maybe F1 or the FIA ​​is missing some of our feedback.

“Maybe we didn’t do well enough to be there and give feedback.

“In the end, it’s us who know what’s going on, and I think we’re all starting to feel the same way, and that usually gives some insight into what’s going on.”

Additional reporting by Adam Cooper