Aerodynamics
The study of airflow over and around an object and an intrinsic part of Formula One car design.
Apex
The middle point of the inside line around a corner at which drivers aim their cars.
Appeal
An action that a team takes on its drivers’ behalf if it feels that they have been unfairly penalised by the race officials.
Ballast
Weights fixed around the car to maximise its balance and bring it up to the minimum weight limit.
Bargeboard
The piece of bodywork mounted vertically between the front wheels and the start of the sidepods to help smooth the airflow around the sides of the car.
Blistering
The consequence of a tyre, or part of a tyre, overheating. Excess heat can cause rubber to soften and break away in chunks from the body of the tyre. Blistering can be caused by the selection of an inappropriate tyre compound (for example, one that is too soft for circuit conditions), too high tyre pressure, or an improperly set up car.
Bodywork
The carbon fibre sections fitted onto the monocoque before the cars leave the pits, such as the engine cover, the cockpit top and the nosecone.
Bottoming
When a car’s chassis hits the track surface as it runs through a sharp compression and reaches the bottom of its suspension travel.
Brake balance
A switch in the cockpit to alter the split of the car’s braking power between the front and the rear wheels according to a driver’s wishes.
Chassis
The main part of a racing car to which the engine and suspension are attached is called the chassis.
Chicane
A tight sequence of corners in alternate directions. Usually inserted into a circuit to slow the cars, often just before what had been a high-speed corner.
Clean air
Air that isn’t turbulent, and thus offers optimum aerodynamic conditions, as experienced by a car at the head of the field.
Cockpit
The section of the chassis in which the driver sits.
Compound
Tread compound is the part of any tyre in contact with the road and therefore one of the major factors in deciding tyre performance. The ideal compound is one with maximum grip but which still maintains durability and heat resistance. A typical Formula One race compound will have more than ten ingredients such as rubbers, polymers, sulphur, carbon black, oil and other curatives. Each of these includes a vast number of derivatives any of which can be used to a greater or lesser degree. Very small changes to the mix can change compound performance.
Diffuser
The rear section of the car’s floor or undertray where the air flowing under the car exits. The design of the diffuser is crucial as it controls the speed at which the air exits. The faster its exit, the lower the air pressure beneath the car, and hence the more downforce the car generates.
Downforce
The aerodynamic force that is applied in a downwards direction as a car travels forwards. This is harnessed to improve a car’s traction and its handling through corners.
Drag
The aerodynamic resistance experienced as a car travels forwards.
Drive-through penalty
One of two penalties that can be handed out at the discretion of the Stewards whilst the race is still running. Drivers must enter the pit lane, drive through it complying with the speed limit, and re-join the race without stopping.
Flat spot
The term given to the area of a tyre that is worn heavily on one spot after a moment of extreme braking or in the course of a spin. This ruins its handling, often causing severe vibration, and may force a driver to pit for a replacement set of tyres.
Formation lap
The lap before the start of the race when the cars are driven round from the grid to form up on the grid again for the start of the race. Sometimes referred to as the warm-up lap or parade lap.
G-force
A physical force equivalent to one unit of gravity that is multiplied during rapid changes of direction or velocity. Drivers experience severe G-forces as they corner, accelerate and brake.
Graining
When a car slides, it can cause little bits or rubber (‘grains’) to break away from the tyre’s grooves. These then stick to the tread of the tyre, effectively separating the tyre from the track surface very slightly. For the driver, the effect is like driving on ball bearings. Careful driving can clear the graining within a few laps, but will obviously have an effect on the driver’s pace. Driving style, track conditions, car set-up, fuel load and the tyre itself all play a role in graining. In essence, the more the tyre moves about on the track surface (ie slides), the more likely graining is.
Gravel trap
A bed of gravel on the outside of corners designed with the aim of bringing cars that fall off the circuit to a halt.
Grip
The amount of traction a car has at any given point, affecting how easy it is for the driver to keep control through corners.
Installation lap
A lap done on arrival at a circuit, testing functions such as throttle, brakes and steering before heading back to the pits without crossing the finish line.
Jump start
When a driver moves off his grid position before the five red lights have been switched off to signal the start. Sensors detect premature movement and a jump start earns a driver a penalty.
KERS
Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, or KERS, are legal from 2009 onwards. KERS recover waste kinetic energy from the car during braking, store that energy and then make it available to propel the car. The driver has access to the additional power for limited periods per lap, via a ‘boost button’ on the steering wheel.
Left-foot braking
A style of braking made popular in the 1990s following the arrival of hand clutches so that drivers could keep their right foot on the throttle and dedicate their left to braking.
Lollipop
The sign on a stick held in front of the car during a pit stop to inform the driver to apply the brakes and then to engage first gear prior to the car being lowered from its jacks.
Marshal
A course official who oversees the safe running of the race. Marshals have several roles to fill, including observing the spectators to ensure they do not endanger themselves or the competitors, acting as fire wardens, helping to remove stranded cars/drivers from the track and using waving flags to signal the condition of the track to drivers.
Monocoque
The single-piece tub in which the cockpit is located, with the engine fixed behind it and the front suspension on either side at the front.
Oversteer
When a car’s rear end doesn’t want to go around a corner and tries to overtake the front end as the driver turns in towards the apex. This often requires opposite-lock to correct, whereby the driver turns the front wheels into the skid.
Paddles
Levers on either side of the back of a steering wheel with which a driver changes up and down the gearbox.
Paddock
An enclosed area behind the pits in which the teams keep their transporters and motor homes. There is no admission to the public.
Parc ferme
A fenced-off area into which cars are driven after qualifying and the race, where no team members are allowed to touch them except under the strict supervision of race stewards.
Pit board
A board held out on the pit wall to inform a driver of his race position, the time interval to the car ahead or the one behind, plus the number of laps of the race remaining.
Pit wall
Where the team owner, managers and engineers spend the race, usually under an awning to keep sun and rain off their monitors.
Pits
An area of track separated from the start/finish straight by a wall, where the cars are brought for new tyres and fuel during the race, or for set-up changes in practice, each stopping at their respective pit garages.
Plank
A hard wooden strip (also known as a skid block) that is fitted front-to-back down the middle of the underside of all cars to check that they are not being run too close to the track surface, something that is apparent if the wood is excessively worn.
Pole position
The first place on the starting grid, as awarded to the driver who recorded the fastest lap time in qualifying.
Practice
The periods on Friday and on Saturday morning at a Grand Prix meeting when the drivers are out on the track working on the set-up of their cars in preparation for qualifying and the race.
Protest
An action lodged by a team when it considers that another team or competitor has transgressed the rules.
Qualifying
The knock-out session on Saturday in which the drivers compete to set the best time they can in order to determine the starting grid for the race.
Reconnaissance lap
A lap completed when drivers leave the pits to assemble on the grid for the start. If a driver decides to do several, they must divert through the pit lane as the grid will be crowded with team personnel.
Retirement
When a car has to drop out of the race because of an accident or mechanical failure.
Ride height
The height between the track’s surface and the floor of the car.
Safety Car
The course vehicle that is called from the pits to run in front of the leading car in the race in the event of a problem that requires the cars to be slowed.
Scrutineering
The technical checking of cars by the officials to ensure that none are outside the regulations.
Sectors
For timing purposes the lap is split into three sections, each of which is roughly a third of the lap. These sections are officially known as Sector 1, Sector 2 and Sector 3.
Shakedown
A brief test when a team is trying a different car part for the first time before going back out to drive at 100 percent to set a fast time.
Sidepod
The part of the car that flanks the sides of the monocoque alongside the driver and runs back to the rear wing, housing the radiators.
Slipstreaming
A driving tactic when a driver is able to catch the car ahead and duck in behind its rear wing to benefit from a reduction in drag over its body and hopefully be able to achieve a superior maximum speed to slingshot past before the next corner.
‘Splash and dash’
A pit stop in the closing laps of the race when a driver calls in for just a few litres of fuel to be sure of making it to the finish.
Steward
One of three high-ranking officials at each Grand Prix appointed to make decisions.
Stop-go penalty
A penalty given that involves the driver calling at his pit and stopping for 10 seconds – with no refuelling or tyre-changing allowed.
Tear-off strips
See-through plastic strips that drivers fit to their helmet’s visor before the start of the race and then remove as they become dirty.
Telemetry
A system that beams data related to the engine and chassis to computers in the pit garage so that engineers can monitor that car’s behaviour.
Torque
Literally, the turning or twisting force of an engine, torque is generally used as a measure of an engine’s flexibility. An engine may be very powerful, but if it has little torque then that power may only be available over a limited rev range, making it of limited use to the driver. An engine with more torque – even if it has less power – may actually prove quicker on many tracks, as the power is available over a far wider rev range and hence more accessible. Good torque is particularly vital on circuits with a number of mid- to slow-speed turns, where acceleration out of the corners is essential to a good lap time.
Traction
The degree to which a car is able to transfer its power onto the track surface for forward progress.
Traction control
A computerised system that detects if either of a car’s driven (rear) wheels is losing traction – ie spinning – and transfers more drive to the wheel with more traction, thus using its more power efficiently. Outlawed from the 2008 season onwards.
Turbulence
The result of the disruption of airflow caused by an interruption to its passage, such as when it hits a rear wing and its horizontal flow is spoiled.
Tyre compound
The type of rubber mix used in the construction of a tyre, ranging from soft through medium to hard, with each offering a different performance and wear characteristic.
Tyre warmer
An electric blanket that is wrapped around the tyres before they are fitted to the car so that they will start closer to their optimum operating temperature.
Understeer
Where the front end of the car doesn’t want to turn into a corner and slides wide as the driver tries to turn in towards the apex.
Undertray
A separate floor to the car that is bolted onto the underside of the monocoque.
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