Understeer occurs when a Formula 1 car’s front tyres lose grip in a corner, causing the car to continue travelling in a straighter line than the driver intends rather than following the turn. The driver steers into the corner but the car pushes wide — sometimes called ploughing. Understeer is the opposite of oversteer. It is generally considered safer than oversteer because the car stays more predictable, but it costs lap time significantly and is particularly costly at tight, technical corners.
Example: He’s suffering from understeer on corner entry — the front end just isn’t responding and the car is pushing wide every time.
Understeer makes the front of the car go wide; oversteer makes the rear of the car go wide. They are opposite handling problems.
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