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Aerodynamic balance
Balance between the downforce on the front wheel center line and the
rear wheel center line. Too much force at the front causes the car to
oversteer and too much force at the rear leads to understeering.
Aerodynamic
efficiency
This describes the ratio of downforces (which a car needs for fast
cornering speeds) to air resistance (which influences maximum speed).
Aerodynamic
center of gravity
The point at which all the aerodynamic forces on the Formula 1 car
meet. It must lie approximately at the center of the car for neutral
balance to be retained when driving.
Airbox
Large hole above the driver's head that directs air into the engine.
Active
suspension
This system used an on-board computer to maintain the ride height
(distance between the underside and the ground) at all times. It was
banned in 1993, along with other electronic aids.
Apex
Technical term for the summit of a curve.
Apron
A plastic strip along the side of the car for sealing the gap between
the chassis and the racetrack. This important part of the "wing car"
(1977-1982) is now banned.
Aquaplaning
Loss of road holding caused by tires skimming over the surface of a wet
track.
Armco
Name of a manufacturer of crash barriers which has become synonymous
with the product.
Autoklave
An oven for manufacturing carbon fiber components in a vacuum, using
pressure and heat.
Blackbox
An accident-recording device which registers which forces are acting on
the car in the event of an accident. The data are used by the FIA for
accident investigation purposes.
Blistering
Term for the formation of bubbles on the surface of tires, normally due
to overheating in extremely hot weather. A rare phenomenon these days,
as a harder rubber compound is used in the manufacture of the now
compulsory grooved tires.
Bore
The bore is the diameter of an engine cylinder.
Bottoming
out
A term used by drivers to describe what happens when the underside of
the car touches the track on driving over bumps or on braking.
Brake
balance
Adjustable by the driver in the cockpit via a dial. Establishes the
ratio of braking force between the front and rear wheels.
CAD/CAM
Abbreviations for "computer-aided design" and "computer-aided
manufacture". These are the systems the teams use to design and
construct their cars, and they have almost completely superseded the
drawing board.
Carbon
fibers
Material used to make the chassis, bodywork and other components. The
first chassis to be made from this material was built by McLaren in
1981.
Center
of gravity
Point around which the weight of the car is evenly distributed. For the
car to retain neutral balance when driving, and achieve good road
performance, the center of gravity must lie approximately at the center
and be as low as possible.
Chicane
Series of bends varying in their degree of tightness, which force the
drivers to slow down, the intention being to make dangerous stretches
less hazardous. The number of race tracks installing chicanes has grown
steadily since the 1970s.
Computational
fluid dynamics
A science still very much in its infancy, which helps car designers to
predict airflow around the vehicle as early as the design stage. Their
predictions are put to the test at a later stage using models in a wind
tunnel.
Constructor
Often used in place of the term "team". The drivers' championship was
first introduced in 1950, while its counterpart, the constructors
championship, started in 1958.
Contact
patch
Area of the tire that touches the road surface. Since it is now
compulsory for tire tread to contain grooves, this area - and hence the
contact with the ground and the grip - has decreased.
Crash
test
All new Formula 1 cars must undergo this procedure before the start of
the season, under the supervision of the FIA. The dynamic and static
tests simulate frontal, rear and side impacts and test the roll bar.
Diffuser
Aerodynamically shaped section of the bodywork located between the rear
wheels. It plays an important part in controlling the airflow under the
car and therefore affects driving performance.
Drive-by-wire
Means of linking the throttle movement to the engine without a direct
mechanical link, as commonly used in the past. Electronic sensors on
the accelerator pedal control the engine. Derived from the term
"fly-by-wire".
End
plate
Vertical fence mounted on the end of a front or rear wing. Shaped in
such a way at the front as to control the airflow around the front
wheels.
Engine
mapping
Electronically stored programme for ignition and injection used to
alter the performance characteristics of an engine. The driver can set
various mappings in the cockpit by pushing a button.
FIA
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is the
world governing body for motor sport. It used to operate under the
names of CSI and FISA. The headquarters of the FIA have been based in
Geneva since 1999 (formerly in Paris).
Flat
spots
Can be caused if the wheels lock when braking or by the effect of
spinning on the surface of a tire. The tire is no longer perfectly
round, causing vibrations.
Flying
start
In the event of extreme weather conditions, a Formula 1 race can be
started behind the safety car. The race cars will therefore already be
moving when the starting signal is given. This practice was first
adopted in Belgium in 1997.
Fly-by-Wire
See drive-by-wire
Formation
lap
The warm-up round before the start of the race.
Free
practice
The training that takes place on the Friday and Saturday morning. The
lap times achieved are recorded but do not determine the start
positions.
Front
spoiler
Aerodynamic aid ahead of the center line of the front wheels. The
purpose of this component is to direct airflow to optimum effect, in
order to create downforce.
Fuel
cell
Another term for petrol tank. Formula 1 cars are fitted with specially
developed, flexible tanks which are practically indestructible, even in
the event of an accident.
Gravel
bed
Strip of gravel which stops cars when they go over the edge of the race
track.
Ground
clearance
Distance between the vehicle underside and the ground.
Installation
lap
The first lap of training, when the drivers drive at a measured pace in
order to test if everything is working properly. After this lap they
return to the pit, where the car is checked.
Intermediate tire
A tire with a special tread used for driving in damp, but not
sufficiently wet conditions requiring wet-weather tires. They have
become superfluous since the introduction of the grooved dry tire 1998.
Kevlar
Synthetic material used to make chassis and bodywork components.
Lollipop
Round sign on a long pole which a mechanic uses to direct the driver to
the exact stopping place during a pit stop.
Marbles
Term for the dirt which collects next to the "clean" ideal racing line
(mainly shreds of tire rubber).
Marshal
Official positioned at the edge of the track who shows the drivers the
warning flags but also provides assistance, for example in the event of
an accident.
Medical center
An on-site hospital, compulsory at every race track.
Monocoque
Technical term for the chassis or cockpit of a Formula 1 car.
Nose
Term for the front section of the chassis of a Formula 1 racing car.
Nomex
Brand name of the fireproof material of which the driver's overalls,
boots, gloves and underwear are made.
Oversteering
Occurs when, on cornering, the rear of the car takes a wider apex and
threatens to spin out of control. In order to avoid the latter, the
driver has to steer in the opposite direction.
Paddles
Term for the operating levers for the clutch and gears behind the
steering wheel.
Pit enclosure (paddock)
The area behind the pits where the teams' transporters and motor homes
are to be found.
Pits
Garages in which the teams work on the cars during the weekend of the
event. The strip between the pit and the race track is known as the pit
lane.
Pit board
Display board which gives the driver information as he passes the
control stand on the start/finish straight. Not yet redundant despite
the presence of on-board radios.
Plank
A rectangular wood panel (30 cm wide and 1 cm thick) fitted beneath a
Formula 1 car in order to control the ground clearance. If the panel
has worn down by more than 10% after the race, the car is disqualified.
Pole
position
Position at the head of the Formula 1 grid allocated to the driver who
records the fastest time in the qualifying round.
Pop-off
valve
Pressure relief valve for reducing power in turbo engines, used from
1986 to 1988.
Qualifying
Term for the one-hour session on Saturday afternoon when
each driver has only one lap with which he can post a qualifying time.
The driver tries to complete this lap as quickly as possible since the
result determines his position in the starting grid for Sunday's race.
Ride
height
Cf. Ground clearance
Safety
car
Car belonging to the race organisers which, in the event of a serious
accident or bad weather, drives out in front of the field in order to
slow down the race. It can also be used at the start of a race (flying
start).
Side
pods
Part of the bodywork on both sides of the cockpit. They contain the
radiators and act as a crumple zone in the event of an accident.
Shakedown
The first test which a brand new car has to undergo to ensure that all
the important systems are functioning properly.
Slick
Tread-free tire for dry racing tracks. Slicks were used between 1970
and 1997 but have now been replaced by grooved tires in order to reduce
cornering speed.
Splash-and-dash
Term for a fast pit-stop at the end of a race for refuelling. It
usually means the team has miscalculated.
Sporting
code
Official name for the sporting regulations.
Stabiliser
The part of the wheel suspension which controls the vehicle's swaying
movements.
Starter
FIA official responsible for supervising the entire start procedure and
operating the starting light.
Steward
Term for sports official who rules on potential infringements of the
regulations. Three stewards are present at each Grand Prix, one from
the host country and two from other countries.
Stop-and-go penalty
Penalty imposed during the race when a driver makes a false start or
exceeds the speed limit in the pit lane, for example. The driver must
drive into his pit and stop there for 10 seconds. The team is not
allowed to work on the car during this time. In addition, driving into
and out of the pit lane costs the driver approximately 15 seconds.
T-car
Another name for the spare car which every team takes along to a race.
A regulation has recently been introduced whereby the earliest this car
can be used is during the time training session. It is generally used
to replace a racing car which is damaged when a start is halted and
cannot be repaired in time for the re-start.
Team manager
Member of the team responsible for all the organisation and logistics
at races and tests. Although often in charge of race strategy in the
past, these days the team manager has more of an administrative role.
Tear-off visor
Thin, plastic film which the driver removes from his crash helmet visor
during the event once this film has become soiled by insects or oil
smog, so as to enable him to see clearly again. Drivers start a race
with three or four tear-off visors, which they remove one after another
as the need arises.
Technical
acceptance
Control process which Formula 1 cars have to undergo prior to and
during the Grand Prix weekend, in order to ensure that the technical
regulations are upheld.
Technical
committee
FIA committee which lays down the technical regulations. Technical
Director Member of the team with overall responsibilitiy for the
construction and development of the car.
Telemetry
Process by which data from the moving car are transmitted to the
monitors in the pits so that the technicians can monitor the
performance of the chassis and engine.
Test
team
Separate group of technicians and mechanics which concerns itself
exclusively with the team's test drives and makes an early start on
developing the new car for the next season. Unlike the racing team they
do not usually attend Grand Prix events.
Traction
control
Electronic system that restricts wheel spin on acceleration. It was
banned at the end of 1993 as an unauthorised driving aid.
Transponder
Electronic device that transmits data from the car to the pits.
Turning
vane
Technical term for an aerodynamic aid mounted vertically behind the
front wheels, which is supposed to direct airflow around the side
panels with minimal eddying.
Tire
blanket
Electrified slip covers used to heat the tires prior to mounting them
on a car. The temperature (approx. 80 degrees) promotes better track
adhesion and thus enhances road performance.
Tire
compound
Term used to describe the "ingredients" that tires are made of.
Generally speaking, a "hard" compound is less susceptible to wear and
tear but slower, whereas a "soft" compound is less durable but grips
better and is faster. The ideal racing tire combines both qualities.
Undertray
Technical term for the underside of a racing car. It is aerodynamically
formed at the back in order to produce downforce.
Understeering
Occurs when, on cornering, the front end of the car starts to slide
before the rear of the car.
Warm-up
Half-hour training session on the Sunday morning. This is the team's
last chance to check the car's technical functions and tuning before
the race.
Wheelbase
Distance between the center line of the front wheels and the center
line of the rear wheels. Adjusting this value can influence road
performance to a considerable degree. For example, the wheelbase can be
altered by changing the construction of the wheel suspension or by
inserting a distancing piece between the engine and the gearbox.
Wing
car
Name of the generation of cars pioneered by Lotus between 1977 and
1982. The cars were called this because their side panels resembled an
upside down aeroplane wing.
Winglet
Name given to the small additional wing which is usually located on the
rear section of the side panels, in front of the wheels. Winglets are
now banned, so as to keep the downforce within bounds.
Wishbone
suspension
Triangular-shaped component of the wheel suspension. Generally, each
wheel on a racing car is mounted on an upper and lower wishbone
structure.
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