Section

Formula 1

Flags, tyres, pit stops and race-day rules explained in plain words for new and returning F1 fans.

4 guides6 archive pages

Photo: David Merrett / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Guides

Formula 1

F1 Flags Explained: What Every Flag Means

Every F1 flag tells a driver one of five things: race on, slow down, stop, give way or come into the pits.

Autosport International Show - 2014 F1 Pirelli Tyres

Formula 1

F1 Tyres Explained: Compounds, Colours and Rules

F1 tyre colours do not name a fixed rubber: red, yellow and white simply mark the softest, middle and hardest of the three dry compounds chosen for that weekend.

2023 Aston Martin Vantage V8 F1 Safety Car 1

Formula 1

Safety Car vs Virtual Safety Car in F1

Under the Safety Car, a real car goes out and the field queues behind it; under the Virtual Safety Car, no car appears and every driver must slow to a set delta time.

Formula 1

How F1 Pit Stops Work: The Two-Second Tyre Change

An F1 pit stop is a planned stop outside the team's garage in which a crew changes all four tyres, often in under two seconds, before releasing the car safely back into the pit lane.