At a glance
An undercut is an attempt to gain position by pitting first and using the new-tyre out-lap; an overcut means staying out longer and using the in-lap before stopping. DRS is a regulated aerodynamic mode that changes drag and passing opportunities.
- UndercutPit firstuse fresh-tyre out-lap
- OvercutStay outuse old-tyre in-lap
- 2019 example4 sVettel lap vs Leclerc, Singapore
- 2021 Austin3 lapsearlier first Red Bull stop
How the lap sequence creates a pass
F1’s glossary defines an overcut as staying out after a rival pits, passing them while they stop and building a gap before your own stop. The table summarizes the mechanisms; the central comparison is the stopper’s out-lap against the rival’s in-lap, plus pit-lane time and traffic.
| Term | What the driver/team does | Where the time advantage may come from | What can defeat it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undercut | Pit before the rival | Fresh-tyre out-lap is faster than rival’s in-lap on used tyres; clean air helps | Warm-up delay, traffic after stop, long pit loss, rival responds quickly |
| Overcut | Stay out after rival pits, then stop later | Strong in-lap on old tyres; rival loses time warming new tyres | High degradation, traffic, safety car, or rival’s new-tyre pace |
| Go long | Continue beyond rival’s stop window, often accepting temporary track-position loss | Later tyre advantage and fewer laps in traffic after the stop | Positions lost while others stop; insufficient passing opportunity |
| DRS | Use the FIA-defined adjustable aerodynamic system when conditions permit | Lower drag can aid a pass in an enabled zone | Detection, activation rules, zones and the car ahead’s pace still matter |
Undercut: a fast out-lap
In 2019 Singapore, Formula 1 reported that Sebastian Vettel pitted on Lap 19. On new hard tyres, he lapped roughly four seconds faster than Charles Leclerc, who was still leading on older tyres. Leclerc stopped the next lap, and Vettel emerged ahead. That four-second difference is a reported event-specific lap comparison, not a general undercut gain.
The first car must produce a quick out-lap while the rival completes an in-lap on older tyres. The attempt can fail if new tyres warm slowly, the driver exits into traffic, or the rival’s in-lap is strong.
Overcut: protect the in-lap and the track
An overcut reverses the order: one car stays out to post a strong in-lap on older tyres while the rival pits. It can work when new tyres warm slowly. In 2021 Monaco, low degradation and slow new-tyre warm-up made the balance close. Sergio Pérez and Sebastian Vettel used long first stints to gain places, while Lewis Hamilton’s attempted undercut of Pierre Gasly failed because his new hard tyres were slow to warm.
“Go long” is related but not identical. It means extending a stint to gain a later tyre-age advantage, even if the driver temporarily loses track position. It only helps if positions can be recovered or a neutralization changes the race.
Example: Red Bull’s earlier stops in Austin
In the 2021 United States Grand Prix, Formula 1 reported Max Verstappen stopped on Lap 10 for mediums and Lap 29 for hards, while Lewis Hamilton stopped later on Laps 13 and 37. Team principal Toto Wolff described the first call as an aggressive undercut. Verstappen’s first stop was three laps earlier and second eight laps earlier; this is one case, not a rule.
DRS and “dirty air”
DRS means Drag Reduction System. FIA rules regulate its use. A “DRS train” describes several cars using the system, which can reduce one pursuer’s relative advantage. “Dirty air” is disturbed airflow behind a car; F1 says it can reduce the following car’s aerodynamic performance. Neither guarantees a pass.
What the terms leave out
Strategy also depends on layout, tyres, degradation, warm-up, pit loss, traffic, safety cars and the opponent. A term describes intent; it does not prove a pit call caused a position change. The Singapore and Austin numbers are dated examples, not current-season predictions.
For how an extra stop must overcome time loss, see Strategy & Pit Stops hub, plus the F1 Explained hub.
Sources and method
Formula 1’s Singapore 2019 undercut analysis supports the Lap 19 stop and reported four-second Vettel/Leclerc comparison. Its Austin 2021 strategy report provides the stop laps. Formula 1’s Monaco 2021 strategy analysis supports the overcut and tyre warm-up comparison. The Formula 1 glossary defines overcut terminology; Article 22 of the FIA 2025 Sporting Regulations, Issue 5 governs DRS use. The event examples are dated and no time is generalized across races.