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Complete Glossary of F1 Terms - Part III

There is an old adage in Formula One racing that goes: “Behind every great F1 driver, there's a great race engineer”. The role of the engineer is one of the most important roles in this sport, but this role is not that easy to understand. The intricacies of F1 racing have captured the imagination of all speed lovers. As this lies above the understanding of an average Formula One fan, Carazoo.com brings you a glossary of the terms used in Formula One racing in the hope that understanding of this much-loved sport will become easier. Since the list of glossary itself is pretty stretched-out in size we are giving the same in parts.

We here present you the third list of the F1 glossary.

Qualifying: The knock-out session on Saturday in which the drivers compete to set the best time they can in order to determine the starting grid for the race.

Reconnaissance lap: A lap completed when drivers leave the pits to assemble on the grid for the start. If a driver decides to do several, they must divert through the pit lane as the grid will be crowded with team personnel.

Retirement: When a car has to drop out of the race because of an accident or mechanical failure.

Ride height: The height between the track's surface and the floor of the car.

Safety Car: The course vehicle that is called from the pits to run in front of the leading car in the race in the event of a problem that requires the cars to be slowed.

Scrutineering: The technical checking of cars by the officials to ensure that none are outside the regulations.

Sectors: For timing purposes the lap is split into three sections, each of which is roughly a third of the lap. These sections are officially known as Sector 1, Sector 2 and Sector 3.

Shakedown: A brief test when a team is trying a different car part for the first time before going back out to drive at 100 percent to set a fast time.

Sidepod: The part of the car that flanks the sides of the monocoque alongside the driver and runs back to the rear wing, housing the radiators.

Slipstreaming: A driving tactic when a driver is able to catch the car ahead and duck in behind its rear wing to benefit from a reduction in drag over its body and hopefully be able to achieve a superior maximum speed to slingshot past before the next corner.

'Splash and dash': A pit stop in the closing laps of the race when a driver calls in for just a few litres of fuel to be sure of making it to the finish.

Steward: One of three high-ranking officials at each Grand Prix appointed to make decisions.

Stop-go penalty: A penalty given that involves the driver calling at his pit and stopping for 10 seconds - with no refuelling or tyre-changing allowed.

Tear-off strips: See-through plastic strips that drivers fit to their helmet's visor before the start of the race and then remove as they become dirty.

Telemetry: A system that beams data related to the engine and chassis to computers in the pit garage so that engineers can monitor that car's behaviour.

Torque: Literally, the turning or twisting force of an engine, torque is generally used as a measure of an engine's flexibility. An engine may be very powerful, but if it has little torque then that power may only be available over a limited rev range, making it of limited use to the driver. An engine with more torque - even if it has less power - may actually prove quicker on many tracks, as the power is available over a far wider rev range and hence more accessible. Good torque is particularly vital on circuits with a number of mid- to slow-speed turns, where acceleration out of the corners is essential to a good lap time.

Traction: The degree to which a car is able to transfer its power onto the track surface for forward progress.

Traction control: A computerised system that detects if either of a car's driven (rear) wheels is losing traction - i.e. spinning - and transfers more drive to the wheel with more traction, thus using its more power efficiently. (Outlawed from the 2008 season onwards.)

Turbulence: The result of the disruption of airflow caused by an interruption to its passage, such as when it hits a rear wing and its horizontal flow is spoiled.

Tyre compound: The type of rubber mix used in the construction of a tyre, ranging from soft through medium to hard, with each offering a different performance and wear characteristic.

Tyre warmer: An electric blanket that is wrapped around the tyres before they are fitted to the car so that they will start closer to their optimum operating temperature.

Understeer: Where the front end of the car doesn't want to turn into a corner and slides wide as the driver tries to turn in towards the apex.

Undertray: A separate floor to the car that is bolted onto the underside of the monocoque.

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