What does INTERVAL mean in F1?

Formula One has recently attracted dozens of new fans for a variety of reasons. The Netflix series Drive to Survive, in particular, has introduced the pitlane to a new audience and gripped them.

At the best of circumstances, though, the sport remains impenetrable, with TV pundits and analysts using racing language and F1 jargon that makes races tough to follow for the average spectator.

One of these terms is ‘interval,’ which you’ll see on the live scoreboard throughout a race and hear addressed by the commentary team on occasion.

During a race, an ‘interval’ is frequently marked on the side of the live leaderboard on television.

It’s commonly written next to the driver who’s leading the race, with a time like +3.450 next to the second-placed driver. According to the time, the driver in second place is 3.450 seconds behind the leader.

All of the times in the column next to the drivers’ names under the phrase ‘interval’ will have the same meaning. As a result, interval merely refers to the time difference between the named driver and the one ahead of him.