Kimi Antonelli, Not Jenson Button, Delivers DRS's Final F1 Activation in Abu Dhabi

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has become the final driver in Formula 1 history to activate the Drag Reduction System (DRS), doing so on the last lap of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This denied a wish from 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, who was the first to use DRS in 2011 and had hoped to be the last to push the button, bringing the system's 15-year era to a symbolic close.

Why it matters:

The retirement of DRS marks the end of a significant and often debated chapter in F1's technical history. Its replacement with a new overtaking system for 2026 represents a fundamental shift in how the sport will engineer on-track battles, moving from a simple aerodynamic trick to a more complex energy management tool.

The details:

• DRS was introduced in 2011 as an overtaking aid, allowing a driver within one second of the car ahead to open a flap on the rear wing on designated straights, reducing drag and increasing top speed by 10-12 km/h.
• Jenson Button activated it for the first time at the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix. Earlier this year, he expressed a desire to be the last to use it, stating, "Just put me in a car so I can be the last person to push the DRS button as well. I feel like it should come full circle."
• That honor instead went to 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli, who was just four years old when Button first used the system. Antonelli activated DRS while chasing Yuki Tsunoda on the final lap in Abu Dhabi but could not complete an overtake, finishing 0.6 seconds behind.
• The system was polarizing, praised for creating more overtakes but criticized by some as an artificial gimmick.

What's next:

DRS will be replaced for the 2026 season by Manual Override Mode (MOM), a new system based on energy deployment rather than aerodynamics.

• As explained by the FIA's Jan Monchaux, when a driver is close enough to a car ahead, they will be granted an extra amount of electrical energy to deploy strategically during that lap, rather than a simple rear wing opening.
• This change aligns with the new 2026 power unit regulations and aims to give the following car a power boost to attempt an overtake, shifting the tactical battle from a simple button press to energy management.