The Ultimate Guide to Formula 1 Terminology and Jargon

06-27-2024

Engineers love their jargon, and nowhere is that more true than in Formula One. So, here's a quick rundown of some classic and popular terms, all neatly listed in alphabetical order.

B for Balance, Box, Brake Ducts, & Burnouts

Balance

When drivers talk about balance, they're not talking about the car's weight. It's all about the front and rear axles working together. If the front grips more, the car oversteers; if the rear grips more, it understeers. Balance can be tweaked with different parts and adjustments, but it changes during the race as tires wear out. Pit stops can help fix this by adjusting the front wing angle.

Box

The pit box is where the car gets worked on during a pit stop. The pit isn't clear enough over the radio, so they say box instead like a box now, box to overtake, or box box box. This might come from the German word for the pit stop, boxen-stop, but who knows?

Brake Ducts

Brake ducts channel air to cool the brakes, but they also help guide airflow for better aerodynamics. Less air needed for cooling means more for aerodynamics, but miscalculations can lead to overheating brakes.

Burnout

Not the team after a crazy schedule, but spinning the rear wheels. Drivers do this to heat up the rear tires and lay down rubber in the pit box for more grip.

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C Involves Camber, Compounds, Clean Air, & Cool Down

Camber

This is the angle of the car's wheels relative to the vertical. F1 cars have their front wheels tilted inwards at the top (negative camber) to maximize tire contact when cornering.

Compounds

Pirelli supplies Formula One tires. There are five slick tire compounds, C1 to C5. Three are chosen for each race. Lower numbers mean harder tires. Softer tires grip better but wear out faster.

Clean Air / Clear Air

F1 cars perform best in clean air without the turbulence from other cars. In clean air, they're stable and deliver maximum performance.

Cool Down

During practice and qualifying, cars do cool-down laps, which are slower laps to let the tires cool down before pushing hard again.

D Contains Dash Delta & Degradation

Dash Delta

Delta means change. In F1, it usually refers to changes in tire performance or lap times. During safety car periods or qualifying in-laps, drivers have to manage their pace according to these deltas.

Degradation

Tires have a temperature range where they grip best. If they get too hot, grip declines that's degradation or deg. It's different from tire wear, though wear can cause deg.

Looking at F1 Flags

Here's a rundown of the key flags waved by marshals around the track (and also displayed on drivers digital screens in their cockpits) during Formula 1 practice, qualifying, and races. Ignoring some flags can lead to penalties:

Yellow flag

This means there's a danger nearby, on, or blocking the track, so drivers need to slow down and not overtake. The level of danger is shown by the yellow flag being stationary, waved, or double-waved.

Red flag

This flag tells drivers that a session or race has been stopped, usually because of a serious accident or bad weather. Besides being waved at marshal points, drivers also get a signal on their steering wheel display. When a red flag is shown, drivers must stop racing immediately and head back to the pits. Red flags have been used in over 70 races since 1950.

Chequered flag (checkered flag)

This black and white flag, which looks like a checkerboard, is waved at the Start/Finish line to signal the end of the race. The exact origins of the chequered flag are still debated, but the earliest pictorial proof is from the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race in Long Island, New York.

Blue flag

This is a warning for slower drivers to move aside because a faster car is coming up from behind. Blue flags are shown during practice and qualifying when a slower car is blocking a faster one, and in races when slower cars are being lapped by the leaders.

Black flag

This flag is shown to a driver (along with their race number) who has been disqualified and must return to the pits immediately to retire. A few drivers have received the black flag in Formula 1 history for technical and on-track violations.

Some Other Terms

Gurney, or Gurney Flap

Image Source: MDPI

A Gurney Flap or just a Gurney is like a little right-angled tab you stick on the back edge of a rear wing. It helps create more downforce without making the wing draggy. Super easy to put on and take off. Named after F1 legend Dan Gurney, who came up with the idea.

Intermediates / Inters

The green-banded Intermediate tires are for those tricky times when it's lightly raining or the track is drying up after heavy rain. These Inters can handle 30 liters of water per second at 300 km/h. They're not great with standing water, but on a damp track, they're faster than full wets and grippier than slicks.

MGU-H

Motor-Generator Unit Heat. This gadget recovers energy from the exhaust flow to spin a turbine. It can either help the turbo out by powering the compressor to get rid of turbo lag or generate energy that goes straight to the MGU-K or gets stored in the battery.

MGU-K

Motor-Generator Unit Kinetic. This one grabs energy that would normally be lost during braking. It can work as a motor to add power to the driveline or as a generator to store energy in the battery. Kind of like what youd find in hybrid cars.

Parc Ferme / Parc Ferme Conditions

Parc Ferme is basically a fenced-off area where cars are checked over, and the crew cant mess with them except for certain tasks under strict supervision. More broadly, Parc Ferme conditions mean the cars can't be altered even if they're back in the team garage. In F1, once the cars leave the garage for their first qualifying lap, they are under these conditions until the scrutineers release them after the race.

Rake (1)

Raising the back end of the car compared to the front, creates more space under the floor to make the floor and diffuser work better. The steeper the rake, the more space you get but it also makes airflow trickier to manage and increases the chance of scraping the nose or the tea tray.

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Conclusion

Understanding Formula 1 terminology is essential for both new fans and seasoned followers of the sport. By mastering Formula 1 terminology, you'll be able to follow races with greater insight, engage in informed discussions, and deepen your appreciation for the intricacies of this high-octane sport. Whether you're watching your first Grand Prix or your hundredth, this guide equips you with the knowledge to fully enjoy and understand the world of Formula 1.