What is A Tear-Off In F1 And How Do Drivers Use It?

While there are so many jargons in Formula 1 right now, tear-off is one of them. This term arguably wasn’t that popular until the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix. Ever since the Spa-Francorchamps race took place, there have been multiple queries from F1 fans to want to know what tear-off is.

There’s hardly any sport where jargon isn’t used and Formula 1 is no different. For those who aren’t quite unaware of what jargon is, it’s a collection of special words or terms used by a profession or a group. The jargon is often difficult to understand for people who aren’t quite used to the sport or group, etc.

Tear-off here in F1 is the series of strips the drivers have on their helmet visors. The glass of the helmets is made in such a way that can carry multiple layers of transparent strips. The drivers peel them off when needed, and that has been its sole use.

An F1 helmet can have from five to nine strips at times. Interestingly, one anti-fog strip is also available in between.

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The tear-off is pretty important for a driver in the race or when their car is out on track. It not only helps to clear out visibility issues caused due to debris but also does the same in the case of water or oil. Drivers have been using this technique for a long period of time since it’s not wise for them to wipe the visor for better vision.

How much damage can a strip of tear-off cause?

Well, it will not be bad to consider millions of dollars. F1 as a sport is very competitive as well as risky. One tool malfunctions and it’s the end of the day for the driver and his team.

During the 2022 Belgian GP, a tear-off from Max Verstappen caused Charles Leclerc to lose his shot at the podium. This means the Monegasque not only lost his chances of closing the gap in front of the driver’s championship but also lost some valuable points for the team.

As Leclerc finished in P6, a finish in podium place would have guaranteed double points or more. In F1, even a single point is very crucial and Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso from 2007 will all agree.

What happened with the tear-off in Belgium?

As the race started, Leclerc was behind Verstappen, who started from P14. During lap 1, both the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers made up pretty good places in the midfield. As Leclerc was behind Verstappen, a strip from the Red Bull driver got clogged in one of Leclerc’s brakes and that was all for him to finish his podium chances.

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Tear-offs are nearly impossible to distinguish from driver to driver. However, camera footage showed Verstappen was the driver ahead of Leclerc and a tear-off was tossed on the track by him, which got stuck in Leclerc’s Ferrari. The Monegasque had to pit to remove it immediately and thus lost time and position for the run to the podium.

Moreover, the strip also damaged the speed sensor. This resulted in Charles Leclerc receiving a 5-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Less than 1 kilometer cost him a position and two points.

Even though there have been no announcements of Max Verstappen receiving a penalty for throwing his tear-off on track, the Dutchman has provided enough reasons for his actions. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso’s run-off caused many drivers to go to the grass and gravel and their invisibility was caused by dirt.

Are the drivers allowed to throw tear-off strips on the track?

No, the drivers are not at all allowed to throw them on track. Throwing such strips might lead to severe punishments, as it will be a breach of regulations. In a report published by Motorsports.com in 2019, F1, then race director Charlie Whiting, reminded every driver not to throw any strips on the track.

Whiting further made it clear that Article 1.2 of Chapter 3 of the International Sporting Code is very transparent about the rules of regulations applied to every driver of the open cockpit, single-driver cars. It stated, “Any tear-offs attached to visors may not be thrown onto the track or the pitlane.”

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The governing body has further advised the drivers to place the tear-offs either in the cockpit or have them removed during the pit stops.