Formula 1 has a language all of its own. From DRS and dirty air to parc fermé and porpoising, our A–Z guide explains the terms you’ll hear during every race weekend in simple, beginner-friendly language. Find the term you’re looking for and become a more knowledgeable F1 fan—one explanation at a time.
A
Aerodynamics
B
Backmarker
Battery
Beam Wing
Black Flag
Blistering
Blue Flag
Brake Bias
C
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 (Tyres)
Chassis
Checkered Flag
Chicane
Clean Air
Cockpit
Constructors’ Championship
Cost Cap
Countersteer
Customer Team
D
Degradation
Delta
Deployment
Diffuser
Dirty Air
DNF (Did Not Finish)
DNS (Did Not Start)
Downforce
Drag
Drive-Through penalty
Drivers’ Championship
DRS (Drag Reduction System)
Dry Tyres
DSQ (Disqualification)
E
Energy Recovery System
Engine Mode
F
Falling off a cliff
Fastest lap
FIA
Flat Spot
Floor
Formation lap
Free Practice
Front Wing
Fuel Saving
G
Graining
Green Sector
Grid Penalty
Ground Effect
H
Hairpin
HANS
Hard Compound
Harvesting
I
In Lap
Intermediate Tyres
J
J
K
Knockout Qualifying
L
Late Braking
Lift And Coast
Lock-Up
M
Marbles
Medium Compound
MGU-H
MGU-K
N
N
O
Out Lap
Overcut
Oversteer
Overtake Mode
P
Paddock
Parc Ferme
Pit Stop
Pit Window
Pits
Podium
Points System
Pole Position
Porpoising
Power Unit
Pull Rod Suspension
Purple Sector
Q
Q1, Q2, Q3
Qualifying
R
Racing Line
Rake
Rear Wing
Red Flag
Regeneraation
Ridde Height
Rookie Driver
S
Safety Car
Sector
Sidepods
Slipstream
Soft Compound
Sprint Qualifying
Sprint Race
Stewards
Stint
Sustainable Fuel
T
Time Deletion
Tow
Track Limits
Trail Braking
Turbo Hybrid
Tyre Blanket
Tyre Delta
Tyre Strategy
U
Undercut
Understeer
V
Venturi Tunnels
Virtual Safety Car
W
Warm-Up Lap
Wet Tyres
Wheelspin
Works Team
X
X
Y
Yellow Flag
Z
Z