Strategy and racecraft

The thinking behind pit calls, team orders, tyre management and overtaking.

• Pit stop strategyHow teams decide when to pit and which tyres to fit, and why a one-stop and a two-stop can finish within seconds of each other.
• The undercut and the overcutThe undercut means pitting first to gain time on fresh tyres. The overcut means staying out longer. Which one works depends on the tyres and the track.
• Strategy under the safety carA safety car or virtual safety car makes a pit stop much cheaper, so teams have seconds to decide whether to pit. Red flags offer a free tyre change.
• Team ordersTeams are allowed to tell one driver to let the other past, or to hold position. They were banned from 2003 to 2010 and have been legal again since 2011.
• Slipstream and dirty airFollowing another car cuts drag on the straights but costs grip in the corners. That trade-off shapes how overtaking works in F1.
• Tyre and energy managementDrivers rarely go flat out for a whole race. They manage tyre wear, battery energy, fuel and temperatures, and under the 2026 rules energy matters more than ever.