Many specific terms are used in motor sports and the following, which are specific to FORMULA 1 cars and races, are set out to give marshals and understanding of terminology they may encounter trackside:
Aerodynamics – The study of airflow over and around an object and an intrinsic part of FORMULA ONE car design.
Accident Data Recorder – ‘Black Box’ (ADR) An electronic component that controls and records all electronic procedures in FORMULA ONE cars. It is also the name of the data recorder that has to be installed in the cars – not, however, for test runs in which only a single team participates. The Black Box is intended to provide information on possible causes in case of an accident, thus supporting on-going efforts to improve safety. The box is positioned so that it is always accessible, without having to remove any parts of the car.
Air Box – The air inlet behind the driver’s head. The air box channels the air necessary for the combustion process to the engine.
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.
Aquaplaning – Aquaplaning is what happens when there is more water between the tyres and the road than can be displaced by the tyre tread. The car ‘floats’ and consequently cannot be controlled by the driver. FORMULA ONE races can be stopped if there is a danger of aquaplaning. Under very wet conditions, the safety car is generally used to keep the field at a lower speed.
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 side pods 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.
Brakes – FORMULA ONE brakes are made of carbon. Under FIA regulations, each wheel is permitted only two brake shoes and a maximum of six pistons. Brake callipers must be made of an aluminium alloy. Cooling fluids, ABS and power assisted braking are not allowed. Full braking will bring a FORMULA ONE car from 200 to 0 km/h within 55 metres, all within 1.9 seconds. Deceleration forces achieve up to 5 G – the driver has to endure five times his own weight.
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.
Carbon fibre – A construction material for FORMULA ONE cars. The monocoque, for example, is made of epoxy resin reinforced with carbon fibre. These materials, when laminated together, give great rigidity and strength, but are very lightweight.
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.
Crash barrier – Safety measure at track locations where there is no space for run-off zones.
Differential – A differential that is connected between the drive wheels to compensate the speed differences between the outer and inner wheels when cornering.
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.
Electric blanket – The tyres require an operational temperature of around 100 degrees Celsius to achieve optimal effectiveness. To arrive at this temperature quickly, special blankets pre heat the wheels to between 60 and 80 degrees Celsius. Cold tyres do not develop enough grip. If they are too hot, they wear out quickly. They are also known as tyre-warmers.
Fading – Technical term for the gradual loss of the brake effect after relatively long, heavy use. Occurs less with the modern carbon brakes than in conventional steel disc brakes
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. It is sometimes referred to as the warm-up lap or parade lap.
Free practice – During these practice sessions before a Grand Prix, the lap times are recorded, but they have no influence on the starting order or the result. The teams use them as an opportunity to set their cars up for the respective track and to choose the right tyres.
Fuel – Super unleaded fuel is used in FORMULA ONE. Its composition must meet FIA regulations. It conforms to the strictest EU exhaust standards. Random tests at each race ensure conformity with the rules. From the 2008 season onwards 5.75 per cent of the petrol must originate from biological sources.
Front wing – Creates downward pressure on the front area of the FORMULA ONE car and is thus an important part of the aerodynamics. Details of the front wing sometimes change for every new race – according to how much downward pressure is required for the respective circuits. Apart from that, the drivers make adjustments to the front wing during set up, mainly modifying the angle of the second flap.
Gear – A gear is a transmission step with a certain speed or reduction ratio. Automatic or continuous transmissions are prohibited in FORMULA ONE. The number of gears can vary from four to seven.
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 (i.e. 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.
Ground clearance – The distance between the underbody and the surface of the track.
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.
Ground effect – The contact force generated by an aerodynamically shaped underbody. In the seventies, sills were attached to the sides of the cars to create a vacuum underneath the vehicle that held it down on the track. The enormous resulting grip allowed for extremely high cornering speeds. The pure ground effect cars developed in the seventies were banned by the FIA for safety reasons.
Gurney – L-shaped counterflap on the trailing edge of a car’s wing.
Hairpin – Narrow 180 degree bend.
Head and Neck Support (HANS) – Since the 2003 season, the drivers have been given additional head and neck protection. The Head and Neck Support system consists of a carbon shoulder corset that is connected to the safety belts and the driver’s helmet. In case of an accident, the HANS device is intended to prevent a stretching of the vertebrae. Additionally, it prevents the driver’s head from hitting the steering wheel. HANS is a brand name and there others also in use filling the same purpose.
Head Support – The removable padding on the inside of the cockpit. The cockpit is fitted with removable padding around the driver’s head, designed to absorb any potential impact. The two side pads must be at least 95 mm thick, and a thickness of between 75 and 90 mm is stipulated for the rear pad.
Helmet – The helmet is made of carbon, polyethylene and Kevlar and weighs approximately 1,300 grams. Like the cars, it is designed in a wind tunnel to reduce drag as much as possible. Helmets are subjected to extreme deformation and fragmentation tests. Only helmets tested and authorised by the FIA may be used in races.
Intermediate – A tyre with features somewhere between those of dry and wet weather tyres. The intermediate has more tread than dry weather tyres and less tread than wet weather models. It is used for mixed weather or light rain.
International Sporting Code(ISC) – The FIA code that contains all the regulations governing international racing.
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.
Kerbs – Raised kerbstones lining corners or chicanes on racing tracks. The kerbs provide additional safety as the drivers must reduce their speed when driving over them.
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 ‘booster 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.
Medical Car – The car of the responsible race doctor. Like the safety car, it is on standby at the exit of the pit lane during every practice session and race.
Medical Centre – Every FORMULA ONE race and test circuit must have a state-of-the-art emergency service facility staffed by experienced physicians.
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.
Nose – Front part of a FORMULA ONE car, subjected to various crash tests for safety reasons. The nose also functions as a protruding crash structure protecting the monocoque.
On-board Camera – A mini TV camera on board the racing car, which can be attached near the airbox, the rear mirror or the front or rear wing. Supplies live pictures during practice, qualifying and the race.
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 general public.
Parc Fermé – 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 FORMULA ONE 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 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, in which the drivers compete to set the best time they can in order to determine the starting grid for the race.
Racing Line – Also known as the ideal line, the racing line is the imaginary line on which the circuit can be driven in the fastest possible time. Due to the rubber build-up, this is also usually where the grip is best.
Rear Light – Decreases the risk of pile-ups. When using wet weather tyres, the rear light must always be switched on. It consists of 30 individual LEDs, must be at least six times six centimetres in size and is required to be attached 35 centimeters above the car’s underside.
Rear Wing – Also known as a rear wing assembly. It creates downward pressure mainly upon the rear axle. The rear wing is adapted to the conditions of the tracks (the steeper it is, the more downforce is created). The settings and angles of the surfaces can be additionally modified. These modifications are part of the set up.
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.
Roll-over Bar – If a car rolls over in an accident, the rollover bar, a curved structure above the driver’s head made of metal or composite materials, is intended to provide the driver with better injury protection.
Rubber build-up – Due to the slow erosion of tyre surfaces. When tyres are driven on asphalt, the surface rubs off and leaves behind a layer of rubber on the road, which accumulates over the course of the racing weekend and progressively enhances grip. This erosion is influenced both by the vehicle set up and the abrasive properties of the asphalt.
Run-off Zone – Run-off zones are mainly created in fast corners. If a car goes off the circuit, it should slow down as quickly as possible without rolling over. This is the reason why the gravel traps have to be as wide as possible. Gravel reduces speed and thus reduces the force with which the car hits the tyre barriers. The alternative: asphalt run-off zones on which the driver retains more control over 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.
Seat – After an accident, it must be possible to remove the driver and seat from the car together. Since 1999, regulations have stipulated that the seat may no longer be installed as a fixed part of the car. The risk of doing spinal damage to the driver when removing him from the car is thus eradicated. The seat is a tailor made plastic cast, designed to provide perfect support for each individual driver
Set-up – General vehicle tuning for all the adjustable mechanical and aerodynamic parts (wheel suspension, wings, etc.). Specifically, the term describes the various possibilities for adapting a FORMULA ONE car to the conditions of a particular circuit, including, among other things, modification to the tyres, suspension, wings and engine and transmission settings.
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% 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.
Skid Block – A plate made of plastic or wood fitted to the underbody of a racing car. It is intended to prevent a strong suction effect, limiting excessively high speeds, especially in the corners, for safety reasons. It also acts as protection for the underbody.
Slicks – These tyres without tread were outlawed by the FIA in late 1997. This was meant to prevent an increase in top speed – especially in corners – achieved due to the higher grip provided by a larger tyre surface area.
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.
Spare Car – Each team brings an extra car to races, or sometimes two, in case of damage to the cars they intended to race. Also called a T-car.
Speed Limiter – The cruise control feature used in FORMULA ONE pit lanes. It is activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel. Speed is then reduced down to the limit for the pit lane.
Steward – One of three high-ranking officials at each Grand Prix appointed to make decisions.
Starting line-up – Each row of the starting line up has two race cars, one slightly in front, with a distance of eight metres to the next row.
Starting Number – All cars have to be fitted with the starting number of the respective driver. The FIA specifies the size and positioning. The numbers are assigned at the start of the season. The teams are always given two consecutive numbers. The World Champion of the previous year is always assigned number 1 and his team mate number 2. If the reigning World Champion is no longer competing the following year, the number 1 is omitted and replaced with a 0. The number 13 is not assigned.
Steering Wheel – The control center of the racing car. Built in the Electronics Department, the steering wheel is not just for turning corners, its screen displays car statistics for the driver and it boasts a selection of buttons to allow the drivers to adjust some of the car’s settings. The appearance and the arrangement are adjusted to suit the individual driver.
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.
Tank – The fuel tank is a fiber-reinforced hull that must yield flexibly when deformed. It must fulfil the FIA’s rigid criteria. To avoid damage, the tank is also located within the monocoque and is thus encased in the survival cell, the car’s best protected area.
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 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 – i.e. spinning – and transfers more drive to the wheel with more traction, thus using its more power efficiently. Outlawed in FORMULA ONE 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 tart 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.
Wet Weather Tyres – In wet weather, cars use special tyres that are better able to displace water from the track and optimise grip.
Weight – A Formula 1 car must weigh at least 605 kilograms, including the driver but not including fuel. The vehicles’ construction weight is actually less. This way, the teams can achieve a better weight distribution using additional weights, thus improving the handling. The technical commission of the FIA may, at any time, send cars to the electronic scales located at the entrance to the pit lane to ensure that the rules and regulations are adhered to.
Wings – Rigid and movable surfaces on the racing car with a maximum width of 1.4 metres intended to increase downforce. The wings serve to press the car downwards more firmly.

Many specific terms are used in motor sports and the following, which are specific to FORMULA 1 cars and races, are set out to give marshals and understanding of terminology they may encounter trackside:
Aerodynamics – The study of airflow over and around an object and an intrinsic part of FORMULA ONE car design.
Accident Data Recorder – ‘Black Box’ (ADR) An electronic component that controls and records all electronic procedures in FORMULA ONE cars. It is also the name of the data recorder that has to be installed in the cars – not, however, for test runs in which only a single team participates. The Black Box is intended to provide information on possible causes in case of an accident, thus supporting on-going efforts to improve safety. The box is positioned so that it is always accessible, without having to remove any parts of the car.
Air Box – The air inlet behind the driver’s head. The air box channels the air necessary for the combustion process to the engine.
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.
Aquaplaning – Aquaplaning is what happens when there is more water between the tyres and the road than can be displaced by the tyre tread. The car ‘floats’ and consequently cannot be controlled by the driver. FORMULA ONE races can be stopped if there is a danger of aquaplaning. Under very wet conditions, the safety car is generally used to keep the field at a lower speed.
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 side pods 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.
Brakes – FORMULA ONE brakes are made of carbon. Under FIA regulations, each wheel is permitted only two brake shoes and a maximum of six pistons. Brake callipers must be made of an aluminium alloy. Cooling fluids, ABS and power assisted braking are not allowed. Full braking will bring a FORMULA ONE car from 200 to 0 km/h within 55 metres, all within 1.9 seconds. Deceleration forces achieve up to 5 G – the driver has to endure five times his own weight.
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.
Carbon fibre – A construction material for FORMULA ONE cars. The monocoque, for example, is made of epoxy resin reinforced with carbon fibre. These materials, when laminated together, give great rigidity and strength, but are very lightweight.
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.
Crash barrier – Safety measure at track locations where there is no space for run-off zones.
Differential – A differential that is connected between the drive wheels to compensate the speed differences between the outer and inner wheels when cornering.
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.
Electric blanket – The tyres require an operational temperature of around 100 degrees Celsius to achieve optimal effectiveness. To arrive at this temperature quickly, special blankets pre heat the wheels to between 60 and 80 degrees Celsius. Cold tyres do not develop enough grip. If they are too hot, they wear out quickly. They are also known as tyre-warmers.
Fading – Technical term for the gradual loss of the brake effect after relatively long, heavy use. Occurs less with the modern carbon brakes than in conventional steel disc brakes
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. It is sometimes referred to as the warm-up lap or parade lap.
Free practice – During these practice sessions before a Grand Prix, the lap times are recorded, but they have no influence on the starting order or the result. The teams use them as an opportunity to set their cars up for the respective track and to choose the right tyres.
Fuel – Super unleaded fuel is used in FORMULA ONE. Its composition must meet FIA regulations. It conforms to the strictest EU exhaust standards. Random tests at each race ensure conformity with the rules. From the 2008 season onwards 5.75 per cent of the petrol must originate from biological sources.
Front wing – Creates downward pressure on the front area of the FORMULA ONE car and is thus an important part of the aerodynamics. Details of the front wing sometimes change for every new race – according to how much downward pressure is required for the respective circuits. Apart from that, the drivers make adjustments to the front wing during set up, mainly modifying the angle of the second flap.
Gear – A gear is a transmission step with a certain speed or reduction ratio. Automatic or continuous transmissions are prohibited in FORMULA ONE. The number of gears can vary from four to seven.
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 (i.e. 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.
Ground clearance – The distance between the underbody and the surface of the track.
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.
Ground effect – The contact force generated by an aerodynamically shaped underbody. In the seventies, sills were attached to the sides of the cars to create a vacuum underneath the vehicle that held it down on the track. The enormous resulting grip allowed for extremely high cornering speeds. The pure ground effect cars developed in the seventies were banned by the FIA for safety reasons.
Gurney – L-shaped counterflap on the trailing edge of a car’s wing.
Hairpin – Narrow 180 degree bend.
Head and Neck Support (HANS) – Since the 2003 season, the drivers have been given additional head and neck protection. The Head and Neck Support system consists of a carbon shoulder corset that is connected to the safety belts and the driver’s helmet. In case of an accident, the HANS device is intended to prevent a stretching of the vertebrae. Additionally, it prevents the driver’s head from hitting the steering wheel. HANS is a brand name and there others also in use filling the same purpose.
Head Support – The removable padding on the inside of the cockpit. The cockpit is fitted with removable padding around the driver’s head, designed to absorb any potential impact. The two side pads must be at least 95 mm thick, and a thickness of between 75 and 90 mm is stipulated for the rear pad.
Helmet – The helmet is made of carbon, polyethylene and Kevlar and weighs approximately 1,300 grams. Like the cars, it is designed in a wind tunnel to reduce drag as much as possible. Helmets are subjected to extreme deformation and fragmentation tests. Only helmets tested and authorised by the FIA may be used in races.
Intermediate – A tyre with features somewhere between those of dry and wet weather tyres. The intermediate has more tread than dry weather tyres and less tread than wet weather models. It is used for mixed weather or light rain.
International Sporting Code(ISC) – The FIA code that contains all the regulations governing international racing.
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.
Kerbs – Raised kerbstones lining corners or chicanes on racing tracks. The kerbs provide additional safety as the drivers must reduce their speed when driving over them.
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 ‘booster 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.
Medical Car – The car of the responsible race doctor. Like the safety car, it is on standby at the exit of the pit lane during every practice session and race.
Medical Centre – Every FORMULA ONE race and test circuit must have a state-of-the-art emergency service facility staffed by experienced physicians.
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.
Nose – Front part of a FORMULA ONE car, subjected to various crash tests for safety reasons. The nose also functions as a protruding crash structure protecting the monocoque.
On-board Camera – A mini TV camera on board the racing car, which can be attached near the airbox, the rear mirror or the front or rear wing. Supplies live pictures during practice, qualifying and the race.
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 general public.
Parc Fermé – 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 FORMULA ONE 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 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, in which the drivers compete to set the best time they can in order to determine the starting grid for the race.
Racing Line – Also known as the ideal line, the racing line is the imaginary line on which the circuit can be driven in the fastest possible time. Due to the rubber build-up, this is also usually where the grip is best.
Rear Light – Decreases the risk of pile-ups. When using wet weather tyres, the rear light must always be switched on. It consists of 30 individual LEDs, must be at least six times six centimetres in size and is required to be attached 35 centimetres above the car’s underside.
Rear Wing – Also known as a rear wing assembly. It creates downward pressure mainly upon the rear axle. The rear wing is adapted to the conditions of the tracks (the steeper it is, the more downforce is created). The settings and angles of the surfaces can be additionally modified. These modifications are part of the set up.
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.
Roll-over Bar – If a car rolls over in an accident, the rollover bar, a curved structure above the driver’s head made of metal or composite materials, is intended to provide the driver with better injury protection.
Rubber build-up  –  Due to the slow erosion of tyre surfaces. When tyres are driven on asphalt, the surface rubs off and leaves behind a layer of rubber on the road, which accumulates over the course of the racing weekend and progressively enhances grip. This erosion is influenced both by the vehicle set up and the abrasive properties of the asphalt.
Run-off Zone – Run-off zones are mainly created in fast corners. If a car goes off the circuit, it should slow down as quickly as possible without rolling over. This is the reason why the gravel traps have to be as wide as possible. Gravel reduces speed and thus reduces the force with which the car hits the tyre barriers. The alternative: asphalt run-off zones on which the driver retains more control over 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.
Seat – After an accident, it must be possible to remove the driver and seat from the car together. Since 1999, regulations have stipulated that the seat may no longer be installed as a fixed part of the car. The risk of doing spinal damage to the driver when removing him from the car is thus eradicated. The seat is a tailor made plastic cast, designed to provide perfect support for each individual driver
Set-up – General vehicle tuning for all the adjustable mechanical and aerodynamic parts (wheel suspension, wings, etc.). Specifically, the term describes the various possibilities for adapting a FORMULA ONE car to the conditions of a particular circuit, including, among other things, modification to the tyres, suspension, wings and engine and transmission settings.
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% 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.
Skid Block – A plate made of plastic or wood fitted to the underbody of a racing car. It is intended to prevent a strong suction effect, limiting excessively high speeds, especially in the corners, for safety reasons. It also acts as protection for the underbody.
Slicks – These tyres without tread were outlawed by the FIA in late 1997. This was meant to prevent an increase in top speed – especially in corners – achieved due to the higher grip provided by a larger tyre surface area.
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.
Spare Car – Each team brings an extra car to races, or sometimes two, in case of damage to the cars they intended to race. Also called a T-car.
Speed Limiter – The cruise control feature used in FORMULA ONE pit lanes. It is activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel. Speed is then reduced down to the limit for the pit lane.
Steward – One of three high-ranking officials at each Grand Prix appointed to make decisions.
Starting line-up – Each row of the starting line up has two race cars, one slightly in front, with a distance of eight metres to the next row.
Starting Number – All cars have to be fitted with the starting number of the respective driver. The FIA specifies the size and positioning. The numbers are assigned at the start of the season. The teams are always given two consecutive numbers. The World Champion of the previous year is always assigned number 1 and his team mate number 2. If the reigning World Champion is no longer competing the following year, the number 1 is omitted and replaced with a 0. The number 13 is not assigned.
Steering Wheel – The control centre of the racing car. Built in the Electronics Department, the steering wheel is not just for turning corners, its screen displays car statistics for the driver and it boasts a selection of buttons to allow the drivers to adjust some of the car’s settings. The appearance and the arrangement are adjusted to suit the individual driver.
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.
Tank – The fuel tank is a fibre-reinforced hull that must yield flexibly when deformed. It must fulfil the FIA’s rigid criteria. To avoid damage, the tank is also located within the monocoque and is thus encased in the survival cell, the car’s best protected area.
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 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 – i.e. spinning – and transfers more drive to the wheel with more traction, thus using its more power efficiently. Outlawed in  FORMULA ONE 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 tart 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.
Wet Weather Tyres – In wet weather, cars use special tyres that are better able to displace water from the track and optimise grip.
Weight – A Formula 1 car must weigh at least 605 kilograms, including the driver but not including fuel. The vehicles’ construction weight is actually less. This way, the teams can achieve a better weight distribution using additional weights, thus improving the handling. The technical commission of the FIA may, at any time, send cars to the electronic scales located at the entrance to the pit lane to ensure that the rules and regulations are adhered to.
Wings – Rigid and movable surfaces on the racing car with a maximum width of 1.4 metres intended to increase downforce. The wings serve to press the car downwards more firmly.