An in lap is the lap on which a Formula 1 driver returns to the pit lane for a tyre change or other work. Knowing a pit stop is coming, the driver will often push less hard to manage the tyres and preserve them, since they will be discarded anyway. Teams calculate the in lap time as part of their pit stop strategy and use it to decide the optimal moment to call a driver in. A driver’s in lap is typically slower than their flying laps.
Example: He’s on his in lap now — the team have everything ready in the pit box for a quick turnaround.
The in lap is the lap going into the pits; the out lap is the lap leaving the pits. These are different laps and the driver’s performance expectations on each are quite different.
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