F1 Glossary (F-J)

Whether they’re phrases rooted in the sport’s legendary history or words referring to the automotive technology of the future – F1 has a unique lexicon.

This simple dictionary will help you better understand the language of Formula 1, whether you're completely new to the sport or simply wanting to expand your existing knowledge.

If you’re looking for something specific, you can use your browser's search function.

FALLING OFF A CLIFF

Term describing a sudden drop in tyre performance that cannot be recovered, meaning those tyres will need to be replaced at a pit stop.

Example: “My tyres just fell off a cliff and I was forced to pit earlier than planned.”

FASTEST LAP

Quickest lap time set during a Grand Prix. One driver sets the fastest lap at each race, and the driver who has set the most fastest laps at the end of the season wins the DHL Fastest Lap Award.

Example: “Good work. That was the fastest lap of the race so far.”

FIA

Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. The governing body for world motorsport. They set the rules and regulate the sport.

Example: “The FIA-appointed race stewards will be taking a very close look at that incident before making a decision.”

FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Official title of the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition. ‘Formula’ refers to a set a of rules that applies to all participating cars, while the 'One' signals it is the premier formula. More commonly called Formula 1, or F1.

Example: “The 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship spans 24 races in 21 countries across five continents.”

FINANCIAL REGULATIONS

Financial rules restricting the amount of money an F1 team can spend in a calendar year to develop, manufacture, test, and race, while leaving the team free to decide how to allocate those resources for car development. More commonly known as the budget cap or cost cap.

Example: “The Financial Regulations are designed to promote competitive balance and sporting fairness.”

FLAT SPOT

Area on the tyre surface that has been worn flat. Usually caused by ‘locking up’ a wheel while braking – effectively preventing a tyre from rotating and grinding it flat against the track. Flat spots reduce grip and cause vibrations in the car, negatively impacting performance.

Example: “I locked up, got a flat spot, and the next few laps were not very comfortable after that!”

FLOW-VIS

Flow-visualisation paint. Fluorescent powder in a liquid mixture that's sprayed onto parts of the car and then spreads as the car moves. It helps teams see how the air flows across the surface of the car. Look out for teams using it during pre-season testing and practice sessions.

Example: “The flow-vis can tell aerodynamicists a lot about the design of that front wing.”

FLOOR

Bottom of an F1 car, onto which the rest is built. The underside of the floor has seen plenty of change through the years, with the 2026 regulations making floors flatter with extended diffusers (they used to have long, grooved 'Venturi' tunnels underneath) – reducing downforce and creating a greater variety of car set-ups.

Example: “The design of the floor is no longer as intricate as before.”

FLYING LAP

Lap when a driver pushes as hard as possible, with the car’s power unit turned up to maximum, to set their fastest time. Usually happens between an 'out-lap' (when the driver leaves the pits), and an 'in-lap' (when the driver returns to the pits). Sometimes called a push lap or a hot lap.

Example: “They're on a flying lap and have just gone fastest in the first sector.”

FORMATION LAP

Lap from the grid immediately before the race to bring brakes and tyres up to an optimum temperature, before the cars then form up again on the grid for the race. Sometimes called the warm-up lap or parade lap.

Example: “Here we go then as the drivers begin the formation lap ahead of the Grand Prix.”

FRONT WING

Bodywork with curved, streamlined surfaces attached to the front of the car. Essentially acts like an upside-down aircraft wing, directing air flow around the car and generating downforce (rather than lift!) – heavily influencing car performance. Simplified as part of the 2026 regulations, the wing elements are narrower than before, but the outer sections opened up new areas for aerodynamic development.

Example: “The team will be running an updated front wing design this weekend.”

FUEL

Advanced Sustainable Fuel. Made from cutting-edge sources like carbon capture, municipal waste, and non-food biomass – it’s independently certified to meet strict sustainability standards. The fuel used in F1 is a ‘drop-in’ fuel too, so can work with road cars and existing fuel infrastructure, potentially reducing emissions across billions of combustion engines worldwide.

Example: “F1 is working with major fuel manufacturers to develop advanced sustainable drop-in fuels that can be used around the world.”

FUEL CELL

Official term for the fuel tank in Formula 1 cars. Designed to survive incredibly high impacts without rupturing, the fuel cell sits behind the cockpit and is made of materials including Kevlar and synthetic rubber.

Example: “The fuel cell is more like a flexible bladder than a rigid metal tank.”

F1 BEYOND THE GRID

Podcast where the risk-takers, late-brakers and history-makers of Formula 1 slow down for in-depth interviews. Tom Clarkson brings you revealing, feature-length conversations with drivers, team bosses, engineering experts and F1 legends.

Example: “They revealed on F1 Beyond The Grid just what happened on that dramatic day.”

F1 EXPLAINS

Podcast offering fans an insight into how various things in F1 work. Hosts Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill are joined by special guests to help answer fan questions.

Example: “This topic is discussed on the latest episode of F1 Explains.”

F1 FANTASY

Free-to-play game where players create their own F1 teams with 5 drivers and 2 constructors. Players can enter leagues where those with the most points can win exciting prizes.

Example: “That retirement is not good news for my F1 Fantasy team!”

F1 NATION

Podcast with Tom Clarkson and expert guests, stepping inside the Formula 1 Paddock for race previews, reviews, interviews and analysis.

Example: “Reaction to the news provided plenty of talking points on F1 Nation.”

F1 PREDICT

Free-to-play game where players answer 10 questions with predictions for an upcoming Grand Prix weekend. Players can enter leagues and win prizes.

Example: “If you predicted that on F1 Predict then you probably scored a lot of points!”

F1 SPRINT

100km race held at select events during an F1 season. There are six F1 Sprint weekends, with the Sprint itself taking place the day before the Grand Prix – typically on Saturday. The starting grid for the Sprint is set during Sprint Qualifying on the first day of the race weekend – usually on Friday. The top eight finishers in the Sprint are awarded Championship points.

Example: “It's an F1 Sprint weekend, so there's limited practice time and plenty of action to look forward to each day.”

G-FORCE

Gravitational force acting on an object (or person). One unit of ‘standard gravity’ (g) is strong enough to pull things down to the Earth’s surface. F1 drivers experience extreme g-forces pulling on their bodies as they corner, brake and accelerate.

Example: “Formula 1 drivers need to be in peak physical condition to cope with the g-forces they feel.”

GEARBOX

Unit containing the system of gears in a car. Gearboxes are semi-automatic and a driver uses paddles located on the steering wheel to change gears.

Example: “Ferrari were the first to use a true sequential-style paddle shift gearbox in Formula 1, back in 1989.”

GLORY RUN

Fast lap set by a driver – more often than not in a midfield or lower team – using low fuel and soft tyres which might top the timesheets. Generally seen during testing, a glory run may offer a morale boost to the team and driver, as well as drawing the attention of others – including potential sponsors.

Example: “Was that a glory run or a reflection of their true pace? Either way they’ve gone to the top of the timesheets!”

GLOVES

Part of a driver's safety equipment. As well as protecting their hands, gloves feature biometric technology which can monitor the heart rate and blood pressure of a driver, providing vital medical information if needed. Performance-wise, it's important the gloves are a good fit as drivers get much of their ‘feel’ for the car through their hands on the steering wheel.

Example: “Get my gloves and steering wheel... Gloves!”

GRAINING

When the outside surface of a tyre is much hotter than the inside, the rubber softens and small pieces begin to break away – caused by friction as a tyre slides across the track. These hot pieces almost immediately stick elsewhere on the hot tyre, creating an uneven surface that reduces grip. Drivers can try to bring tyres 'back to life' by wearing down this excess surface rubber to restore grip.

Example: “I struggled through a graining phase and lost a few places before I brought the tyres back.”

GRAND CHELEM

When a driver claims pole position in Qualifying, sets the fastest lap of the Grand Prix and leads every lap of the race on their way to victory in a single race weekend. An illustrious feat, also known as a Grand Slam.

Example: “What a weekend! They’ve added their name to the history books with that Grand Chelem.”

GRAND PRIX

Official term for a Formula 1 race. From the French for 'big prize'. A Grand Prix weekend typically runs from Friday to Sunday – this is generally one day of practice, followed by a final practice session and Qualifying on the second day, before the Grand Prix itself is held on the final day. The format varies during an F1 Sprint weekend, when Sprint Qualifying happens on the first day and the Sprint takes place the day after – replacing two of the practice sessions.

Example: “This is a crucial Grand Prix weekend in the battle for the championship.”

GRAVEL TRAP

Area of gravel, usually on the outside of a corner, designed to rapidly slow down any cars that enter it having left the track. Cars can become beached in gravel traps, becoming stuck and forcing a driver to retire from the race.

Example: “They’ve gone off and deep into the gravel trap! Can they keep the car going and get back on track!?”

GREEN FLAG

Plain green flag waved to signal that the track ahead is clear and cars can be driven at speed. Used at the start of a session, it is also waved when an incident needing yellow flags, a Safety Car, or a Virtual Safety Car, has been safely passed or cleared.

Example: “The Safety Car comes into the pits and we’ve got the green flag to go racing again.”

GREEN TRACK

When the track hasn’t had much (if any) tyre rubber shed on it, and so isn’t as providing as much grip as it could do. Usually seen when the cars head out for the first practice session as, in dry conditions, the track becomes ‘rubbered in’ over a race weekend and grip levels improve as bits of rubber come off the tyres.

Example: “It’s still a green track, so don’t push the car too hard just yet.”

GRID

Marked section on the track where the cars line up to take the start of the race. Each driver’s starting position is decided during Qualifying. Starting from as near to the front as possible is advantageous, as drivers in the tightly-packed middle or rear of the pack are often more likely to encounter incidents. Also known as the starting grid.

Example: “The final car has taken its position on the grid and now we wait for the lights and the race start.”

GRID PENALTY

Penalty forcing a driver to start the race from further back than their qualified grid position. If a driver exceeds their allocation of car parts for the season, they will be given a grid penalty.

Example: “They’ve been handed a five-place grid penalty and will start the race from further down the order.”

GRIP

The amount of traction a car has, or how much the car will stick to the track. The amount of grip a driver feels influences how they control the car. Grip can be affected by factors such as tyre wear and track conditions, and the more grip a driver feels though a corner, the faster they're likely to drive through it.

Example: “I’ve just got no grip at all!”

GROUND EFFECT

Aerodynamic phenomenon when an increased amount of suction underneath a car (created by long, grooved 'Venturi' tunnels) increases downforce, effectively pulling it down onto the track surface. Ground effect was banned in F1 in 1982, reintroduced in 2022, before essentially being phased out by the flatter floors of the 2026 regulations.

Example: “The ground effect era is effectively over with these new regulations.”

GURNEY FLAP

Small component mounted on the trailing edge of a wing, usually at a right-angle to the wing's surface. Used in racing to channel the airflow in a way that improves downforce without increasing drag. Named after its inventor, American F1 driver Dan Gurney.

Example: “The car is running a revised front wing featuring a Gurney flap.”

HAIRPIN

Very tight corner requiring a driver to brake heavily before a sharp turn. Perhaps the most famous example is the Fairmont Hairpin in Monaco, one of the slowest corners on the F1 calendar and scene of some dicey moments and the occasional overtake.

Example: “That was an impressive overtake through the hairpin!”

HALO

Horseshoe-shaped safety structure formed of an elevated titanium bar around the cockpit. Introduced in 2018, it helps protect drivers in the event of a crash.

Example: “The halo really did its job there.”

HANDLING

How a car responds to the actions of its driver, including how it reacts under braking and when turning. A car that handles well will likely be balanced and respond exactly as the driver expects, without issues such as oversteer or understeer.

Example: “The handling of the car has been great this weekend.”

HANS DEVICE

Head and Neck Support Device. Mandatory piece of safety equipment that clips to the back of a driver’s helmet and rests on their shoulders. It prevents too much dangerous movement of the head and neck during a crash.

Example: “The HANS device is a compulsory piece of equipment in F1.”

HARD TYRE

Most durable compound of slick tyre, identifiable by the white on the sidewalls. Hard tyres offer less grip than softer tyres, making them slower over a short distance. However, they don't degrade as quickly and that makes them a good choice for longer distances.

Example: “Okay... We're going to run a longer stint on the hard tyre.”

HEADREST

Energy-absorbing safety device at the top of the cockpit made of carbon fibre and protective foam. It protects a driver's head in case of a crash. The headrest is removeable to allow more space for getting into and out of the car.

Example: “Off comes the headrest, out comes the steering wheel, and it looks like they are out of this race.”

HEAT CYCLE

Heating a tyre (by using it) before it cools down again. Tyres that have been used – for example, in a small number of laps during a session – will have been through one heat cycle. A used tyre doesn't offer as much grip as a new tyre, but a heat cycle can result in the tyre getting to optimum temperature faster when it's used again.

Example: “The tyres have already been through one heat cycle.”

HELMET

Safety equipment worn by a driver to protect their head. Helmets feature an outer shell made of carbon fibre, while the fabric inside is fireproof. It must pass a series of rigorous safety tests, and drivers can decorate them as they wish. Some have had the same design since they began their motorsport career.

Example: “They've got a new helmet design this weekend.”

HYBRID

Combination of advanced sustainable fuels (via a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine) and electrical energy (via a battery) that powers an F1 car in a roughly 50:50 split.

Example: “Formula 1 cars have been hybrid since 2014.”

IN-LAP

Lap when a driver makes their way back to the pits. In a practice session or Qualifying, this usually comes after a driver has completed a flying lap, and they may slow down to cool the car down. During a race, it's the lap in which a driver makes a pit stop.

Example: “They’re not travelling as quickly because they’ve slowed down on their in-lap.”

INSTALLATION LAP

Lap when a driver tests certain car functions, perhaps the throttle or the brakes, early in a session before returning to the pits without crossing the start/finish line.

Example: “They’ve returned to the garage after that installation lap.”

INTERMEDIATE

Tyre compound used for damp (or wet) conditions when it is not considered treacherous enough for full wet tyres. Identifiable by the green on the sidewalls, intermediate tyres – or 'inters' – offer versatility in changing weather conditions.

Example: “It’s raining a bit more now – we should box for intermediates.”

INTERVAL

The difference in time between a driver and a car ahead of them. More commonly called a gap.

Example: “The interval between them is now down to less than two seconds.”

JACK MAN

Member of a pit crew who uses a piece of equipment – a jack – to raise a car off the ground during a pit stop so that tyre changes can be made. The front jack man stands directly in front of the car as it stops, while the rear jack man has to quickly get into position once the car has passed them.

Example: “The jack man did an excellent job in that pit stop.”

JUMP START

When a driver moves from their grid position before the red lights have gone out to start the race. Sensors can detect early movement, and a driver will be penalised for jumping the start.

Example: “Was there movement there? The stewards might take a look at that as a possible jump start!”