F1, explained
Citation-backed, question-first guides to how Formula 1 works, from race strategy and the rules to the cars, the money and the drivers. New here? Start with the basics.
How races are actually won: tyres, pit timing and tactics.
- What are the strategies in F1?
F1 race strategy combines tyre compound choice, pit stop timing, and tactical responses to safety cars and weather. The major strategic conc...
- What is the undercut in F1?
The undercut is a strategy where a driver pits before the car ahead, gains time on fresh tyres while the rival is still on worn ones, and em...
- Why does the undercut work in F1?
The undercut works because fresh tyres are roughly one to two seconds a lap faster than worn ones, and that advantage is biggest in the firs...
- What is the overcut in F1?
The overcut is the mirror image of the undercut: instead of pitting early, a driver stays out longer than a rival who has stopped. Running i...
- How do pit windows work in F1?
A pit window is the range of laps during which a driver can pit and still execute their planned race strategy. Race strategists calculate it...
- One-stop vs two-stop: how F1 teams choose a race strategy
A one-stop race means a single pit stop and longer stints on more durable tyres; a two-stop means an extra stop but fresher, faster rubber f...
- How F1 drivers manage tyre degradation
Tyre degradation is the loss of grip as a tyre wears and overheats through a stint. Drivers manage it by keeping the tyre in its temperature...
- How the safety car changes F1 strategy
A safety car or virtual safety car slows the whole field, which slashes the time a pit stop costs because rivals are also moving slowly. Tha...
- F1 wet-weather strategy explained
In the rain teams choose between two grooved tyres: intermediates for a damp or drying track and full wets for standing water. The hard part...
- Why doesn't F1 refuel during races?
In-race refuelling has been banned in Formula 1 since 2010, on safety and cost grounds after a series of pit-lane fires and the expense of s...