Dirty air is one of the main reasons why overtaking is so hard at some F1 circuits. Secondly, it can cause tyres and brakes to overheat, forcing drivers to back off. Following in a car's dirty air is tricky for two reasons: firstly the unsettled air can reduce downforce, which means drivers have to corner more slowly. The faster an F1 car goes, the more turbulent the aerodynamic wake it leaves behind it. It's why you see drivers weaving around on formation laps to increase the amount of heat in the tyres prior to the start of the race. Cold tyres are to F1 cars what Kryptonite is to Superman: when tyres are cold, they can't produce anywhere enough adhesion to deal with the speeds and cornering forces typical in the sport. Blue flags are used to prevent the lead cars being held and interfering with the result of the race.Įach tyre compound used in F1 has a temperature window in which it works best and delivers the most grip, so if a driver can't get the tyres up into this window, they're said to be too cold.
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 flagīlue flags are shown to drivers who are about to be lapped. When the car goes up the airflow then goes back underneath it, pulling the car down again, and the loop continues.įind out more about porpoising and how it affects F1 teams here.
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.
Porpoising is when an F1 car bounces up and down on the straights.
Most-used phrases Black and White flagīlack 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.įIA Race Director Michael Masi said that the black and white flag "is effectively the motorsport version of the yellow card". 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.Įven so there are still plenty of expressions that can confuse casual viewers, and in the worst cases put them off watching altogether.Ī little understanding goes a long way, so this glossary of common phrases should bring you right up to speed with F1's technical terms.
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