Renault worked through the night: DRS mechanism adjusted
F1 News
The Renault mechanics were busy last night fixing a failed DRS mechanism on both cars. Across both free practice sessions on Friday, the DRS flap was vibrating once it was opened. The team isn't expecting the problems to continue on Saturday, according to Motorsport.com.
The DRS problems aren't new for the French team. In pre-season testing, Daniel Ricciardo lost a rear wing plate. Friday's problems in Austria have been solved and the team don't think the changes will affect the performance during the Austrian Grand Prix.
A defective DRS system can have disastrous consequences for the drivers. A driver who has experienced that is Marcus Erricson. Marcus' DRS refused to close in Monza last year. This happened on the straight before the first chicane, one of the fastest points on the already fast track. The car was out of control and rolled over the grass at high speed. Fortunately, Marcus was unharmed but this is certainly something that nobody wants to see happen again.
It's unclear how much speed this problem scrubbed off Renault, but they won't be pleased with the results from Friday practice. In FP2, Nico Hulkenberg and Ricciardo finished in P16 and P17 respectively. This finish is only ahead of Lance Stroll and the two Williams drivers. FP1 was better, with Ricciardo recording a top 10 finish, but Hulkenberg could only manage P14.
Hulkenberg also ripped off his front wing during the opening practice session as he ran too far over the kerbs.