Understeer

Understeer is a handling condition where the front of a Formula 1 car loses grip and pushes wide in a corner — the car does not follow the steering input and continues in a straight line rather than turning. Understeer is caused by the front tyres losing grip before the rear tyres. It can be caused by too much front wing angle reduction, too much front tyre wear, or a car setup that is too stiff at the front. Understeer is generally considered safer than oversteer (the car tends to run wide rather than spinning), but it is slower. Alain Prost famously preferred a slightly understeering car — he felt it was more predictable and easier to manage over a race distance.

Understeer and oversteer are fundamental concepts in car dynamics. The balance between the two is a critical aspect of F1 car setup. Teams spend significant time during practice sessions finding the optimal balance for each circuit.