A data server crash led to DRS being disabled for 17 laps at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Drivers are only allowed to activate DRS at certain points on the track when they are within one second of another car. FIA race director Michael Masi said the crash meant they could not supply the necessary consistent data feed to the cars in order to ensure it was only used at the correct points on the circuit.

“A data server crashed,” he explained. “The timing was still operating as we all saw. But that crashed, [so] immediately we disabled it.” The system couldn’t be re-activated “until we were 100 percent confident that it was all not only back up and running, but back up and running with the correct data available.

“So we ran various checks working collaboratively the FIA and F1 group to make sure that everything was working hunky-dory. Until that point in time we were not going to take a chance until we were confident.”

A back-up system was used to restore the necessary data feed to the cars. “The first part is to actually identify what the first issue was,” said Masi. “And as we all know, with any back-up systems there’s a lag in things clicking over.

“[We made] sure it was back up and running, and back up and running in a stable condition that we were confident with what was being sent was being sent equally and correctly. And once we were happy with that between us, we reactivated it and enabled DRS.”

The system is jointly run by the FIA and FOM, said Masi. He added it was hard to predict exactly what would have happened if they hadn’t disabled DRS after noticing the problems with the data feed.

“It wouldn’t have been a free for all. To be honest, the exact impacts of it, I’d prefer not to even think about what they were. But the precautionary measure straight away was just to do a global disable [of DRS].”

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2019 F1 season