Y ahora, ¿quién podrá defenderme? (SPA-ENG)

And now, who can defend me?

The title phrase is well-known to many children in their 50s and 60s today. It was mentioned in every episode of Chapulín Colorado, one of the many beloved characters created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños in the sitcom that began airing on independent Mexican television in the late 1970s and ran for seven seasons.

I've taken the liberty of using it as the headline for today's article, as a tribute to the actor and his audience. However, I won't be talking about TV here; it will, of course, be about sports, as befits this highly successful community within the Hive ecosystem.

And I mention it because it occurs to me that next year, drivers in Formula One's top category of motorsport will surely be confused by the lack of the DRS (Drag Reduction System), which has been in use continuously since the 2011 season. Perhaps some of them will be saying to themselves: Who can defend me? Because instead of the current system, which does nothing more than reduce aerodynamic drag by raising the rear wing, next year drivers will be able to press a button to activate an extra burst of electric power similar to that found in other series, such as IndyCar, where the mechanism is called "push-to-pass." In F1, perhaps to differentiate itself from those other categories, the new system will be called MOM, or Manual Override Mode.

But it's not as simple as pressing a button every time you want to overtake another. With DRS, used in permitted locations, there was a fairly strong possibility of overtaking if the vehicle ahead (up to 1 second ahead) didn't have another vehicle ahead with a similar gap, in which case both could use it, and overtaking was more complicated.

Unlike the previous system, with the new system, both vehicles can activate it without any hindrance and anywhere on the track, one to try to pass and the other to defend. However, both must be very careful because this extra power is used up in a few seconds and will only be regenerated on the next lap. It will be a challenge to learn how to regulate it and use it strategically.

But I do see a slight, I would say subtle, advantage for the attacked driver, and I'll explain why. Let's suppose a driver activates the MOM to try to overtake the vehicle in front. The latter, seeing or sensing its rival's maneuver, can activate it a little later, only to arrive with a slight advantage at the next corner. The attacker spends more than the defending driver. Their only advantage is the element of surprise. Well, unless their combustion engine + electric combination is faster, in which case there's no MOM.

In short, the current situation benefits the attacker, as defense is limited. In next year's regulations, the new MGU-K electric power units, combined with a battery, will enable both vehicles to utilize the extra power, providing an estimated 25-30 additional km/h for a period of between 8 and 10 seconds. The additional power is depleted and will only be regenerated through energy recovery from braking.

A whole issue that will surely cost drivers and team strategists time and effort to learn how to get the most out of the system. We know about the use of simulators, but many argue that simulation is useful but not definitive; the greatest learning experience is always in real-life racing situations.

These and several other essential modifications included in the new regulations await us next year. The competitions are sure to be exciting. I can't wait for this season to end.