F1 Jargon explained: A beginner's guide to what key Formula 1 slang terms mean

Like any other sport, F1 has a particular set of words that define certain details. Some words are used as slang, while others are official words that are used by the FIA to explain the sport. This jargon is frequently used by F1 presenters, commentators, and seasoned fans, around the globe. Here is a beginner's guide to some of the most commonly used F1 slang words.

Guide to F1 slang words

#Racing Line

The racing line is an area of the track that drivers usually use to gain maximum speed through straights and corners.

#Apex

An apex is a point on a track's corner that the car passes closest to. It is a part of the racing line that drivers take to retain the momentum of their cars. Different corners have different apexes, depending on the fastest racing line a driver takes.

#Chicane

In simple terms, a chicane is a group of turns in a serpentine shape. These turns are used in F1 and other motorsports to slow down cars.

#Drag

Drag is an aerodynamic phenomenon that explains how air slows down a moving object. As an F1 car is moving fast around the track, the air will hit the car's body and try to apply an opposite force to it. This is called drag. The higher the drag, the slower the car becomes.

#Downforce

Downforce is an aerodynamic phenomenon that pushes cars downward after a certain speed, making them stick to the ground. F1 cars are designed to create a lot of downforce, which allows them to take corners at jaw-dropping speeds. The car's front and rear wings, as well as diffusers and other elements, are designed to create significant amounts of downforce.

#DRS

DRS is an abbreviation of Drag Reduction System. This is a system implemented in F1 cars' rear wings. When the DRS is active, a part of the rear wing lifts to let air flow through it as well. Since drag can slow down a car, this system reduces the force applied from the air by creating a gap in the rear wing. DRS can only be used in certain zones on a track.

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#Slipstreaming

When F1 drivers race each other they are frequently seen positioning their cars behind each other. This phenomenon is called "slipstreaming." It is another method to reduce drag since the car running behind another car will not experience the direct force of air hitting it.

#Box

During an F1 race, teams will ask drivers to "box" through radio messages. This simply means that they want the driver to come to the pit lane for a change of tires, serve a time penalty, or do any other work that needs to be done on a car.

#Tire Compound

In F1, teams use different kinds of tires for different tracks, for sections of the race, and for weather conditions. Italian tiremaker Pirelli is the official tire provider of F1. Each tire's rubber is made up of different compounds. They are named C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5, going from the hardest compound to the softest.

In each race, teams are given three different types of tires to use, of which one will be soft, one medium, and one hard. Hence, F1 commentators and fans discuss tires in terms of their compound.

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#Green, Yellow, Red, and Blue flags

In an F1 race, many flags are used by track marshalls that are positioned around the track. These flags are to warn drivers of different situations in a race.

A yellow flag is waved around a section of the track if a driver has encountered some issue in that section or any other problem that has occurred on the track. A yellow flag means drivers have to lift off the throttle and not overtake anyone.

A red flag means that the session has been completely stopped and the drivers are requested to return to the pits in the same position and station their cars. A session can be red-flagged due to a major car crash, extreme weather conditions, or other severe situations.

A green flag means that the issue was dealt with and drivers are free to race normally.

A blue flag is waved for the lapped, or backmarker, drivers to let them know that the race leaders are approaching. After this flag is raised, the backmarkers move aside for the race leaders to freely move ahead.

#Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car

A safety car is an on-road sports car that is deployed whenever there is a danger on the track, usually a major crash. The role of this car is to run in front of the race leader and slow down every car in the race so that the crash or any other issue can be dealt with. Even though safety cars are excellent road cars, they are still much slower than an F1 car.

The sport also has a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period, in which a physical safety car is not deployed, but racers are commanded to slow down their cars' speeds by 35% till the issue is dealt with.

#Undercut and Overcut

During Grands Prix, teams create various strategies to pass their rivals' drivers. These include the strategies of undercutting and overcutting.

Undercut is a technique when a driver, fighting for a higher position, pits earlier than their rivals to gain performance with fresh tires. Then when their rivals will pit, the driver will move up the position and retain it for the rest of the race.

Overcut is the opposite of undercut, and happens when a driver stays out on track for longer than his rivals and maintains a decent pace on older tires. This allows the driver to gain track position when other drivers pit.

#Halo

A halo is a part of an F1 car that protects a driver's head and other body parts during a severe crash. It can be seen as a semi-circular structure around and above a driver's helmet in on-board camera footage.

#Parc Ferme

Parc Ferme is a French term that means "closed park." It is essentially a period after the qualifying session, during which teams need to leave their cars untouched and perform no repairs or major changes.

#Paddock

Paddock is an area behind a circuit, where every team houses its hospitality centers, rooms for drivers, and offices, to work from during a race weekend. Drivers and team members are frequently seen roaming around the paddock between sessions.

Edited by Eeshaan Tiwary