A-Z Formula 1 Glossary

Giving you the inside line on F1 terminology ahead of the 2026 season

Published

14 JAN 2026

Est. reading time

9 min

Whether you’re a seasoned Atlassian Williams F1 Team fan looking to get back up to speed ahead of the 2026 season, or are new to the world of Formula 1, the terminology used in this sport can sometimes be a tad confusing.

As a newcomer, the sheer amount of lingo can be daunting – but don’t fear! We were all newcomers once upon a time.

To help know the difference between Boost Mode and Overtake Mode, oversteer and understeer, we have compiled a handy A-Z glossary of some of the most frequently used terms you will hear when tuning in to a Grand Prix weekend.

For the long-term F1 fans, there’s plenty of new terminology to know ahead of the 2026 campaign, and this guide might just be the tool you need.

Active Aero

New terminology for 2026. Both the front and rear wing angle will adjust between different settings for corners and straights, available to every driver on every lap. In the corners, the wings will be shut in their default position for maximum grip, whereas on designated straights, drivers will be able to trigger low-drag mode. This flattens the front and rear wings, which will reduce drag and maximise their speed.

Aerodynamics

The study of airflow and the interaction between the air and solid bodies, such as an F1 car, moving through it.

Airbox

In addition to serving as a critical part of the car’s roll hoop, an airbox sits above the cockpit and serves as an engine air intake. In 2026, the roll hoop has been strengthened by 23%.

Albon

Our Thai racing driver. Alex is our No23 and is competing in his seventh full season in 2026. He has celebrated 27 points finishes with us since joining in 2022, and has stood on the podium twice earlier in his F1 career. In 2026, he’s set to become the driver with the most Grand Prix starts for Williams.

Alex Albon became the first Williams driver in 10 seasons to finish in the top 8 of the Drivers Championship in 2025

Apex

The midpoint of a corner on a circuit that drivers will aim to hit to secure the fastest possible lap time.

Aquaplaning

The loss of steering and traction as a result of tyres skimming over the surface of a wet race track.

Boost Mode

New terminology for 2026. Drivers can push a button to get more power from the electric motor, wherever they are on track, to attack or defend – providing the battery is sufficiently charged. This is different to Overtake Mode, but related to Recharge.

Box

Often heard over the team radio, box or ‘box box’ refers to a team's pit box. Drivers and their engineers will opt for ‘box’ rather than ‘pit’ as it is a more phonetically distinctive word and easier to hear whilst strapped into a machine with an incredibly powerful engine just behind your head.

Blistering

Degradation of a tyre as a result of overheating, causing the rubber to break apart.

Chicane

A sequence of tight, alternating corners often taken at low speed. Most older circuits had these introduced in the 1990s to help slow cars down before a previously high-speed corner.

Circuit Breaker

Our free-to-play game that challenges you to set the quickest lap time amongst Williams fans across the world – returning closer to the start of the season.

Clean air

Non-turbulent air on a race track that allows for optimal racing conditions.

Cockpit

The section of an F1 car where the driver is located.

Cost cap

A financial limit on what a team can spend on its cars across a calendar year, introduced in an attempt to level the playing field.

Dirty air

The opposite of clean air, dirty air is turbulence that follows a car as it punches a hole in the air, making it difficult for the driver behind.

Downforce

An aerodynamic force that can be harnessed by engineers and designers to help stick a car to the track by forcing air downwards to improve its traction.

Drag

The aerodynamic resistance on a car as it punches a hole through the air.

ERS

Energy Recovery Systems, or ERS, is a clever piece of technology that harnesses the wasted kinetic energy from the brakes to provide added power. The output from MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic) will almost treble in 2026.

Fastest lap

This is the quickest lap recorded during a Grand Prix. Up until 2025, securing the fastest lap would award the driver a bonus point if they were inside the top 10 at the finish. Williams have recorded 134 fastest laps, with our most recent coming at the 2025 São Paulo GP.

FIA

The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) are the governing body of Formula 1, as well as a wide range of international racing competitions.

Flat spot

Damage to a car's tyre caused during a period of severe braking. As the tyre fails to rotate, the rubber which is touching the circuit will be degraded, creating a flat area to the surface; this can cause extreme vibration and make the car almost undrivable, often forcing the driver to pit for a new set of tyres.

Free practice

Three sessions (one on a Sprint weekend) that take place to start an F1 weekend, allowing drivers and teams to acclimatise to the circuit, run different setups and tyre compounds as well as test different race scenarios.

Grand chelem

A rare feat that is achieved by a driver when they take pole in qualifying, lead every lap of the race, record the fastest lap and secure the win. Also known as a Grand Slam.

Green flag

Displayed to show the driver they are all clear of the yellow flagged area.

Grip

How well a car sticks to the circuit from the traction it is generating, affecting how easy it is for the drivers to stay in control. The grip can change as a tyre gets older or in wet conditions.

Grove

Our Oxfordshire home since October 1996, after outgrowing the previous facilities based in nearby Didcot. Our Grand Prix team is based here, as well as the extensive heritage collection and a state-of-the-art Experience Centre.

Grove has been our home since 1996

HALO

Brought in for the 2018 season, the halo is a safety structure that surrounds the cockpit with the sole purpose of protecting the driver. Initially a controversial addition, any negativity has since subsided after several incidents where the halo has been credited with saving the life of the driver.

HANS device

Short for Head and Neck Support Device, it is a piece of equipment that rests on a driver's shoulders and is clipped onto their helmet, to help prevent sudden movements in the head and neck during an impact. They were made compulsory in Formula 1 before the 2003 season.

Installation lap

The first lap drivers turn when arriving at a circuit, where all key car functions are checked to see if they are working as planned.

Jump start

When a driver moves from his grid spot at the start of the race before the five lights go out, earning them a time penalty.

Kevlar

A lightweight but strong synthetic fibre that is used in the construction of Formula 1 cars.

Lock-up

A term used to describe one or more tyres ‘locking’ during severe braking whilst the others continue to rotate. A lock-up will often cause a flat spot.

Marbles

As a tyre gets older, it degrades and small pieces of rubber will begin to flake off and fall away from the racing line. When a driver is forced to drive on the marbles, it can be slippery as there is less grip.

Nomex

A lightweight, fireproof material that is used to make a driver's overalls, gloves, boots and underwear.

Overcut

A race strategy that requires a driver to pass the car it is following by pitting later than them, utilising the clean air that becomes available to set faster lap times before pitting themselves and coming out in front.

Oversteer

When attempting to turn into a corner, the car's rear end continues to go straight due to a lack of grip. The driver must react and turn into the skid, often by applying an opposite lock to the steering wheel.

Overtake Mode

New terminology for 2026. Replacing the outgoing Drag Reduction System (DRS), Overtake Mode gives drivers within one second of the car in front at a single detection point the ability to deploy extra power to pressurise or force a move.

Paddock

A restricted area behind the pits that houses the team’s motorhomes, technical staff and media.

Parc fermé

A French term meaning ‘closed park’ is an area where cars head after qualifying to ensure no maintenance or set-up changes are made ahead of a race.

Pits

An area of the track adjacent to the start/finish straight where cars can have tyres replaced or non-critical damage repaired during a race. Each team has a garage in the pit for refuelling or set-up changes during practice or qualifying.

Pit Wall Predictions

This is our weekly free-to-play predictor game. See if you can call the shots and correctly guess what will happen every race weekend to earn points and climb our global leaderboard.

Podium

Where the champagne, or non-alcoholic equivalent, is sprayed by the top three finishing drivers after a race. We at Williams have celebrated 315 podium finishes to date, with our most recent coming in Qatar last season.

Carlos celebrates our most recent Grand Prix podium in Qatar, 2025

Pole position

The first spot on the grid at the start of the race, secured with the fastest lap time in qualifying.

Qualifying

A three-part knockout session hosted on a Saturday to determine the starting order for the Grand Prix. On a Sprint weekend, there will be an additional Sprint qualifying held on the Friday which sets the grid for the shorter Sprint race.

Recharge mode

New terminology for 2026. This relates to drivers and their engineers working in tandem to recharge their battery, either under braking or from engine energy, for future electric power use.

Red flag

These are shown when a session has been suspended. Drivers should slow down and return to the pits. A session can be red flagged after an on-track incident or by inclement weather conditions.

Regulations

The rules that govern every aspect of Formula 1, from car design to race procedures. 2026 sees one of the biggest regulatory overhauls in F1 history.

Retirement

When a car is forced to pull out of a session owing to an accident or mechanical failure.

Safety car

A vehicle that is brought out to bunch up and control the pace of all the cars when an incident on track requires the race to be neutralised and cars to be slowed.

Sainz

Our resident Smooth Operator. Carlos Sainz arrived at Grove ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season. He stood on the podium twice in his first campaign with the team, and secured our first ever Sprint podium.

Carlos Sainz is a four-time Grand Prix winner, and secure two race podiums in his debut Williams season

Sidepod

The sculpted bulge in the bodywork either side of the driver, an area that typically houses the radiators for engine cooling.

Sir Frank

A legend and icon of the sport, Sir Frank Williams was our co-founder and original owner. He was the longest-serving Team Principal in Formula 1 history and his values remain at the centre of how we operate as we continue to proudly race under his family name.

Sprint

A 100km race held in addition to the usual Grand Prix at six rounds in 2026 – Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort and Singapore. Points are awarded to the top 8 finishers.

Traction

How a car can turn its engine power onto forwarding progress on the surface of a race track.

Undercut

The opposite of an overcut, a racing strategy to overtake the car in front by pitting before they do and using the fresh tyres to set a fast out lap and get the jump on their competitor.

Understeer

When the front of a car does not want to turn into a corner, forcing the driver into a skid. The opposite of oversteer.

A new look for the team in Formula 1’s all-new regulations era will be unveiled on Tuesday 3 February

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