62 terms
The Formula 1 glossary.
Plain-English definitions, current 2026 language and deeper links when one sentence is not enough.
A
B
Backmarker
A car running near the rear of the order, sometimes about to be lapped by leaders.
Blistering
Tyre damage in which excessive internal heat causes parts of the tread surface to break away.
Boost Mode
The driver-requested maximum available engine-and-battery deployment used to attack or defend.
Box
The radio instruction telling a driver to enter the pit lane, normally for a stop.
Brake bias
The adjustable distribution of braking force between the front and rear axles.
C
Chicane
A sequence of opposing corners designed to slow cars and change direction quickly.
Clean air
Relatively undisturbed airflow around a car not following closely behind another.
Compound
The formulation of tyre rubber that sets its grip, durability and temperature behaviour.
Constructor
The team responsible for entering and building the chassis competing in the Constructors' Championship.
Corner Mode
The 2026 active-aero high-downforce configuration for braking and cornering.
D
Delta
A time difference to another lap, car or required reference such as the VSC limit.
Degradation
The progressive loss of tyre performance through wear, heat and repeated load cycles.
Diffuser
The expanding rear section of the floor that helps accelerate and manage underbody airflow.
Dirty air
Turbulent wake from a leading car that can reduce the following car's aerodynamic grip.
Downforce
Aerodynamic force pushing the car toward the track to increase tyre grip.
DRS
The rear-wing Drag Reduction System used from 2011–2025 and replaced for 2026.
E
F
G
H
I
K
L
M
O
Overcut
Staying out longer than a rival to gain time before making a later pit stop.
Oversteer
A balance condition in which the rear tyres lose grip before the fronts and the car rotates more than intended.
Overtake Mode
The 2026 one-second eligibility aid providing a chasing driver extra electrical deployment allowance.
P
Paddock
The controlled working and hospitality area behind the garages at a Grand Prix venue.
Parc fermé
The regulated condition limiting setup and component changes during competitive periods.
Pit wall
The trackside command position used by senior engineers, strategists and team management.
Pole position
First place on the starting grid, normally earned by the fastest qualifying result after penalties.
Porpoising
Rapid vertical oscillation caused by an aerodynamic load-and-release cycle beneath the car.
Power unit
The combined combustion engine, turbo, electrical motor-generator, battery and control systems.
Q
R
S
Safety Car
The physical course car that controls and bunches the field during a neutralisation.
Sector
One of the timing divisions used to break a lap into comparable portions.
Sidepod
The bodywork beside the cockpit that houses cooling inlets and shapes airflow to the rear.
Slipstream
The lower-resistance air behind another car that can improve straight-line speed.
Sprint
A shorter points-paying race held on selected Grand Prix weekends.
Stint
A continuous run on one set of tyres between the start, pit stops or finish.
Straight Mode
The 2026 active-aero low-drag configuration for designated straight-line sections.
Super clipping
Harvesting electrical energy near the end of a straight while the driver may still be at full throttle.