What does 'interval' mean in F1? Timings explained

Verstappen en Norris vechten om leiding op Interlagos — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Explained

What does 'interval' mean in F1? Timings explained

You'll hear it regularly on TV commentary, but what does it mean?

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Sunday 5 March 2023 16:30 Updated: 22:49

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If you are watching F1 on TV regularly, you'll hear the word 'interval' used at very regular intervals by the commentators, but what does it mean?

As GPFans is here to make your understanding of F1 greater and the whole thing more enjoyable, we have the answer for you.

If you check out the timings or standings during a race or a practice session, you'll see that whoever is leading the way either has a lap time or the word 'interval' next to their name.

Interval in F1 – what does it mean?

After that, every chasing driver has a number against their name, sometimes with a + before it. That denotes how far they are behind the leader, and that is the interval.

For example, if you see this during a race:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): Interval
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): +14.025

Check out the intervals from the leader to the rest

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It means that Perez is currently 14.025 seconds behind Verstappen. It's as simple as that. The interval shows you the gap between drivers and the lead.

Simple as that!

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