Slipstream

The pocket of reduced air resistance directly behind a moving car, created because the lead car punches a hole through the air that the car behind can exploit to travel faster with less engine effort. A trailing driver tucked into another car's slipstream on a straight can close a gap or set up an overtake that would be impossible in clean air alone. The effect is why long straights produce so many overtakes and near-misses, a trailing car uses the slipstream to build a speed advantage, then pulls out to complete the pass right before the braking zone. Modern aerodynamically sensitive race cars also suffer "dirty air" when following closely through corners, which partly cancels out the straight-line slipstream benefit, a tension that's driven multiple generations of rule changes aimed at making both the draft and the corner-following experience more balanced for racing. Motorsport.com covers slipstreaming and draft strategy across race weekends.