Category: Strategy | 5 min read
You are stuck behind a car you cannot overtake on track. The gap is 1.5 seconds. Your tyres are evenly matched. Every lap you push but nothing changes.
Then your strategist comes on the radio.
“Box box. Box box.”
You pit. You come out behind your rival. But two laps later you are ahead. No overtake happened on track. So how did you gain the position?
The answer is the undercut.
What Is the Undercut?
The undercut is a strategic manoeuvre where you pit before your rival in order to gain track position through tyre performance rather than on track speed.
Here is how it works step by step.
You and your rival are running close together. You pit first and get fresh tyres. Your rival stays out on old worn tyres. On fresh rubber you can go significantly faster — sometimes one to two seconds per lap quicker than your rival.
While your rival is still out on old tyres you are building lap time advantage. By the time your rival eventually pits and rejoins the track you have made up enough time to come out ahead of them in the pit exit.
You have undercut them. Position gained without a single wheel to wheel battle.
When Does the Undercut Work?
The undercut is most effective in certain situations.
When tyre degradation is high. If tyres are wearing out quickly the performance difference between fresh and old rubber is large. That performance delta is what makes the undercut work.
When the pit lane is fast. Some circuits have very short pit lanes where you lose very little time stopping. At these tracks the undercut is easier to execute.
When the gap is small. If you are less than two seconds behind your rival there is a chance you can pit, get a fast out lap and come out ahead before they have time to react.
When your rival cannot respond immediately. If your rival pits right after you the undercut fails because they also get fresh tyres. The undercut only works when your rival stays out long enough for you to build the time advantage.
The Counter: Covering the Undercut
When a team sees a rival pit they often respond immediately by pitting themselves. This is called covering the undercut.
By pitting straight away the leading driver also gets fresh tyres and maintains their advantage. The undercut is neutralised.
This is why the timing of the undercut matters so much. If you telegraph your move too early your rival can cover it. The best undercuts happen when the rival is caught off guard or when they are unable to pit due to traffic or strategic reasons.
The Overcut
The opposite of the undercut is the overcut. Instead of pitting early you stay out longer than your rival and try to build enough of a gap that when you eventually pit you rejoin ahead.
The overcut works when fresh tyres do not give a big enough advantage to overcome the time lost in the pit lane, or when you can build a large enough gap by going faster on a clear track while your rival is stuck in traffic after their stop.
A Famous Example
Some of the most memorable moments in Formula 1 history have been decided by the undercut. A driver who appears stuck in traffic suddenly pits, gets fresh rubber and emerges ahead after the stops cycle through. The crowd is confused. The commentators scramble to explain. And the strategist on the pit wall allows themselves a small smile.
What Would You Do?
Scenario: Lap 35 of 57. You are P3, 1.8 seconds behind P2. Both cars are on 20 lap old mediums. Your rival shows no sign of pitting. There are 22 laps to go.
Do you:
A. Pit now and go for the undercut B. Stay out and try to close the gap on track C. Wait 5 more laps and reassess
Next: Pit Stop Timing — What Would You Do?