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Every year, as Formula 1 expands beyond the traditional European races to newer tracks in Asia and Eastern Europe, it attracts thousands of new fans. Proof of which, if it was needed, is the addition of Grands Prix in Abu Dhabi, Korea and even India this year. With some of the highest viewership numbers for a televised event, Formula 1 has an astounding fanbase of over a billion racing enthusiasts.

As we prepare for the brand new championship season and the first ever race in India, it is a good time to brush us your F1 vocabulary. Familiarize yourself with the technical and some not-so-technical terms you will come across in driver interviews, race commentary and other news report.

So here is a Beginner’s Guide to the most commonly used words in the sport. This will definitely help you understand the 2011 championship, race commentary, besides getting you a few free drinks by showing off your F1 knowledge.

§· 107% Rule - Making a return to F1 qualifying is the 107% Rule, that all cars qualifying for a race must be within a 107% of the pole setter’s time. It is debatable whether the newer teams like Virgin and Hispania Racing will be able to keep the pace.

§· 130R - A high-speed turn at the Suzuka circuit in Japan. One of the trickiest turns in racing, the 130R has also been the seen of devastating accidents. The last one in 2003, when MotoGP rider·Daijiro Kato fatally crashed at the corner.

§· Apex - The top of any racing corner. Drivers taking the ‘ideal’ racing line through a corner always aim to place their car at the apex. It is also the point when gear and speed shifts happen. A sign of the truly good driver is how frequently they hit the apex and then how cleanly do they exit. For a demo, watch Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso tackle the Barcelona circuit.

§· Aquaplaning - When water gets between the car and track, thus reducing traction. A very dangerous but common situation on rain-soaked tracks. Drivers have to tread very carefully thus compromising on vital speed.

§· Backmarker - The slowest car in the race, when encountered by the race leader. The slowest cars and drivers normally trail the leaders by anything from a second to· few seconds per lap often getting lapped by the leaders very early in the race. Backmarkers are expected to let the leaders through within 3 corners of the blue flag being shown. Of course, a backmarker is not to be confused with a slower car that a driver is just unable to overtake. Something that happens quite frequently to Alonso.

§· Bahrain Grand Prix - The planned season opener of the 2011 championship season, the Grand Prix was cancelled after pro-democracy protests rocked the Arab Kingdom. Expected to make a return to the calendar later in the year.

§· Ballasts – Weights added to a Formula 1 car to adjust its balance and bring it up to minimum weight.

§· Bargeboard - You might remember this from the 1999 season. This is the not-insignificant part of the car that nearly lost Ferrari that year’s constructor’s title. It is a part of the chassis placed straight up between the front wheels that helps the aerodynamic balance of the car.

§· Bernie Ecclestone – Formula 1’s undisputed king and the man behind the millions of that makes the F1 cog go round. He is the President and CEO of the Formula one Management and Administration. Influential, controversial and always at the center of every debate in Formula 1. Ecclestone is largely if not solely responsible for the way the sport is today.

§· Black Flag - Seldom seen in Formula 1 now, a Black Flag is the in-race disciplining of a car by Race Stewards for an incident in the race. The car is supposed to return to the pits immediately and the driver disqualified. You can refer to Rueben Barrichello’s 2010 Hungary pit radio broadcast as he calls for Michael Schumacher to be black flagged pushing him to the pit wall.

§· Blistering - When a part of the tyre breaks away because it gets too hot. There can be a number of reasons for blistering, most common being wrong compound and track combination or incorrect tyre pressure.

§· Blue Flag - A cautionary flag shown to backmarkers. It warns them of race leaders who may be closing in and allows time to get out of the way. Also (incorrectly) shown by zealous marshals to slow cars that race leaders are otherwise unable to overtake.

§· Boots - Slang for tyres. Drivers often name their cars, a practice very dear to world champion Sebastian Vettel, in which case tyres become the accessory of their ‘girls’.

§· Bottoming - Incorrect tyre pressure and set-up often lead to the floor of the car touching the track. This cause extreme discomfort to the driver and makes driving difficult.

§· Brake Balance - A driver-controlled setting that allows them to switch power between front and rear brakes.

§· British Racing Green - The deep green color sentimentally associated with the colors of the first British racing teams. You will often here English commentators get nostalgic about ‘their racing’. Also frequently mentioned when a British driver wins.

§· Chequered Flag - The black-white flag which every driver wants to be the first to see. Waved at the end of the start finish straight, the chequered flag marks the end of the race.

§· Chicane - A combination or sequence of corners, normally in an S-shape, added before or after a highspeed corner to slow the racing cars. Chicanes often lead to interesting ‘racing incidents’. One very famous example is the Bus Stop Chicane at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, where the drivers will race on August 28 this year.

§· Constructor - The Formula 1 term for carmakers who participate in a championship. A constructor is not a road car manufacturer, but one who makes F1 racing cars and participates for the Constructors World Championship. Of course, some constructors, like McLaren and Ferrari also make road cars.

§· Curfew - Another new 2011 rule is the curfew for team personnel. Whereas in the teas gone by, teams could work all night and be in the paddock, all personnel will necessarily have to leave the paddock from midnight to 6am for 10am practice starts and 1am to 7am for 11 am starts.

§· Diffuser - This is an often controversial component installed in the back of an F1 car. The diffuser controls the exit speed of air from the car, a faster exit means lower pressure and more downforce, something all designer aspire for. Pioneered by Red Bull Racing, most cars now feature a blown diffuser.

§· Drive Through Penalty - One of the three, in-race disciplinary measures available to the Race Stewards,· drive through penalty entails the offending driver slowing down and taking the pit-lane to complete the lap. Taking the slow down time into consideration, it impacts the driver by about 20 - 25 seconds.

§· Downforce – The force generated by the front and rear wings to help the car ‘stick’ to the ground in corners. The most important technical word in Formula 1 and often the sole factor in deciding the World Championship.

§· Eau Rouge - The most famous corner in Formula 1 racing is Eau Rouge. A high-speed, up-hill corner on the Belgian circuit, it is taken at speeds of over 300 kmph. It is a rite of passage for F1 drivers to take the corner flat out, without slowing or lowering gears. Not to be confused with the less illustrious Faux Rouge corner at Istanbul Park circuit.

§· F-Duct - Another controversial car component, banned for the 2011 season. Controlled by the driver from inside the cockpit, the F-duct manages the airflow of the car to reduce drag and improve straight line speeds. The F-Duct was pioneered by McLaren-Mercedes, but was eventually ruled illegal because it was a creative interpretation of the FIA’s ‘cars must not have moveable aerodynamic components’ rule.

§· Ferrari - Also known as the Prancing Horse, Scuderia or La Rossa, it is the Enzo Ferrari-established, now Fiat-owned F1 constructor from Italy. Known for its scarlet cars and long line of world champions, Ferrari arguably bring the most drama and passion to the sport. By special agreements, Ferrari also get the most money for participating. The team is based in Maranello, Italy.

§· FIA - Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the governing body of world motorsports. The FIA is headed by former Ferrari boss Jean Todt. The FIA sets and often re-sets the rules that govern the sport of Formula 1.

§· Flat Spot - When drivers brake or lock brakes suddenly, they often end up wearing out just one part of the tyre, resulting in a flat spot. A flat spotted tyre impacts the handling of the car and results in ill-times pitstop.

§· GDPA - Grand Prix Drivers’ Association is an informal organization of Formula 1 drivers. The organization works with the stewards and teams to improve track and car safety. Most drivers are members of the GDPA, though not all, most famous non-member is Lewis Hamilton.

§· G-Force- The force of gravity that Formula 1 drivers experience routinely when taking corners at breakneck speeds. F1 drivers can experience up to 5G during regular racing and even more incredible forces when they suffer a crash.

§· Graining - F1 cars sliding around on the track often leave behind bits of their tyres that form little balls or marbles. These grains of rubber stick to the slick tyres of the cars and reduce the grip levels.

§· Hairpin - The only ‘female’ reference, albeit to an accessory, in an otherwise all-male sport. A hairpin is an important overtaking opportunity. It is a more-than-100-degree turn placed after a long straight that dramatically slows down the cars. For classic example, look at the Loews Hairpin in Monte Carlo.

§· Herman Tilke - Much maligned designer of most modern Formula 1 tracks. Credited with the reconstruction of Nurburgring, and almost all new tracks such as in Sepang, Abu Dhabi, Turkey and China.