F1 Glossary (U-Z)

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.

UNDERCUT

Race strategy that sees a chasing driver pit earlier than the driver ahead of them in the hope of gaining an advantage. The aim is to lap faster (on fresher tyres) than the driver ahead and overtake them – when they come in for their own pit stop later, for example. The driver ahead might be called in to pit immediately afterwards however, to 'cover off' the undercut attempt and remain in front.

Example: “Are the team going to try and cover off the undercut now, or leave them out there a bit longer?”

UNDERSTEER

When a car turns less than the steering input from the driver. The front wheels lose grip and a driver risks running wide. Opposite of oversteer.

Example: “We need to change the set-up. I'm getting a lot of understeer."

UNSAFE RELEASE

Car released into the pit lane (from its garage or pit box) when it is not deemed safe to do so – for example, when it endangers others. Doing so will result in a penalty.

Example: "They’re under investigation by the stewards for a potential unsafe release.”

UPGRADE

New car part or component a team has developed. Teams may bring upgrades throughout the season, after much R&D, with the aim of improving performance. A collection of upgrades might be referred to as a package.

Example: “The team will obviously be hoping that this upgrade delivers the expected results.”

VISOR

Transparent screen on a helmet that protects a drivers eyes. Visors can be tinted to better shield eyes from bright light, and will have several tear-off strips fitted to it so a driver can maintain clear vision during a session.

Example: “I'm going to need a different visor. This one is too dark.”

VSC

Virtual Safety Car. Deployed to ensure that a race continues safely despite an incident, without deploying the Safety Car itself. Drivers need to slow down immediately and maintain a set time – maintaining the existing gaps between them on track. This prevents any overtaking. The VSC can be recalled at any time, unlike the Safety Car (which returns to the pits before drivers can resume racing speeds).

Example: “They've called for the Virtual Safety Car so the marshals can remove that debris from the track.”

WEAR

Process of a component degrading, causing a reduction in performance. Tyre wear, when the tyre surface deteriorates through continued use, is the most obvious example – but all components wear over time through use.

Example: “I really struggled with tyre wear today, so we'll need to look into that.”

WETS

Tyre compound used for very wet conditions, identifiable by the blue on the sidewalls. Full wet tyres – or 'wets' – offer the most grip during heavy rain but create a lot of spray, making it harder for drivers behind to see.

Example: “The conditions are worsening, so drivers are starting to pit for wets.”

WHEEL GUN

Equipment used by the pit crew when changing tyres. The pneumatic tool features a trigger which, when pulled, will either rapidly loosen or tighten a wheel nut, enabling a tyre to be removed or fitted extremely quickly.

Example: “That was a slow pit stop. It looked like a problem with the wheel gun.”

WHEELBASE

Distance between the centre points of the front and rear wheels on a car. The length of the wheelbase can have an impact on handling. The wheelbase was shortened as part of the 2026 regulations, making cars more agile and responsive.

Example: “The new car has a shorter wheelbase than before.”

WHITE FLAG

Plain white flag shown to a driver to signal that there is a slow-moving vehicle ahead. It is also used at the end of a practice session when drivers can be on the grid practicing their race start procedure.

Example: “That's the end of FP2, and you can see the white flag is being shown as a few of the drivers line up on the grid.”

WIND TUNNEL

Large tunnel with a huge fan at one end, forcing air over a model F1 car to reproduce airflow. Used alongside CFD testing to research aerodynamic performance, teams are restricted in the number of wind tunnel hours they can use, based on where they finished in the championship the season before.

Example: “The wind tunnel helps F1 teams test out computer simulations in conditions similar to real life.”

WORLD MOTOR SPORT COUNCIL

FIA body that decides various aspects of international motorsport. It meets at least three times a year to decide on rules, regulations, safety and development of motorsport at every level from karting to Formula 1. Also known as the WMSC.

Example: “The new regulations have been approved by the World Motor Sport Council.”

YELLOW FLAG

Plain yellow flag shown to signal that there is a potential hazard ahead. A single waved yellow flag means that there is a hazard next to, or partly on, the track and drivers must slow down, not overtake and be prepared to change direction. Double-waved yellow flags signify that a hazard is partly or wholly blocking the track, and drivers must significantly reduce their speed, not overtake, and be prepared to change direction or stop.

Example: “It looks like somebody might have spun in Sector 2. The yellow flags are out.”

ZYLON

Exceptionally strong synthetic material with anti-penetration properties. Used in cars and helmets to improve safety in event of an incident.

Example: “That was a big crash, but the Zylon tether stopped the wheel from coming away and bouncing back into the track.”