Say you are in the lead of a race and there is like two laps remaining, and you have someone close behind. Like Max and Lando. Has it ever happened, or has anyone ever considered letting someone pass them on the second to last lap, with the expectation that they would have DRS on the last lap and get the lead back and win?
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I’m not sure that anyone would do this on purpose, because the risk is too high that DRS won’t be enough on the next lap. Track position is more important than DRS. We’ve all seen cars struggle to get the pass done even with DRS.
Leclerc did this for a few laps in Austria a few years ago (might have been 2022?).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S3kbxjBAYmM
2013, at 50 odd seconds into the video Hamilton tries a bit of gamesmanship and brakes just before the DRS detection line with the hopes of letting Alonso past in order to get get DRS. Alonso cottons on in basically microseconds and brakes in response, avoiding crossing the line before Hamilton.
I cannot fathom the level at which these guys operate.
We saw something similar a few years back. Hamilton and Verstappen maybe? They were in a rough battle and kept slowing down just before DRS lines
That was verstappen and leclerc
Verstappen and Hamilton too: https://www.racefans.net/2021/12/06/did-verstappen-get-the-right-penalty-for-brake-test-on-hamilton/
But that was more of a strategic way to let Hamilton by instead actually fighting for position like Charles and Max were doing. If Max hadn’t been instructed to give up his place, that game of chicken would never have happened
Jeddah 22 was fire
Close to what you are looking for:
