It’s a result of the complex engineering that goes into building a Formula 1 car, as well as the depth of knowledge that teams develop to extract as much performance as possible over a race weekend.
F1 has taken steps in recent years to try and make things easier for fans, such as simplifying the names of the tyre compounds provided by Pirelli.
Even so there are still plenty of expressions that can confuse casual viewers, and in the worst cases put them off watching altogether.
A little understanding goes a long way, so this glossary of common phrases should bring you right up to speed with F1’s technical terms.
Most-used phrases
Black and White flag
Black and white flags are show to drivers for unsportsmanlike behaviour, acting as a warning to the driver who it is shown to, but if the issue persists a black flag can be shown to the driver, along with the driver’s number, to indicate they have been disqualified from the race and must return to the pits immediately.
FIA Race Director Michael Masi said that the black and white flag “is effectively the motorsport version of the yellow card”.
Porpoising
Porpoising is when an F1 car bounces up and down on the straights. It’s caused by the ground effect aerodynamics pulling the car down to the ground, but as the car gets closer to the ground the airflow stalls, which forces the car up. When the car goes up the airflow then goes back underneath it, pulling the car down again, and the loop continues.
Find out more about porpoising and how it affects F1 teams here.
Blue flag
Blue flags are shown to drivers who are about to be lapped. After being shown a blue flag, drivers must get out of the way of faster cars at the earliest opportunity, or face a time penalty for not responding quickly enough. Blue flags are used to prevent the lead cars being held and interfering with the result of the race.
Cold tyres
Each tyre compound used in F1 has a temperature window in which it works best and delivers the most grip, so if…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Autosport.com – Formula 1 – Stories…