The F1 dictionary: L

Lap

Noun: A complete circuit of a race track.

Lap, In

The final lap a driver starts before heading for the pitlane.

Lap, Out

The first lap a driver completes after leaving the pitlane. Stay with us, it gets more exciting soon.

Lapped

Verb: The act of losing a lap to a faster car.

Lawyers

The people who do very well out of this tightly-regulated and very complicated sport we follow.

Lauda, Niki

Star of the 1970s and 1980s who won two world championships with Ferrari before returning after a two-season F1 absence to win the title again with McLaren in 1984. Now non-executive chairman at Mercedes and credited as being a figure of considerable influence in Lewis Hamilton's decision to join the team for 2013.

Lazenby, Simon

Lead presenter of Sky Sports F1, best man at a wedding, and occasional bike-riding partner of Jenson Button.

Lesmo

The tight, right-hand bends, one of which follows the other, at Monza, the venue for the Italian GP.

Lollipop

The board on the end of a stick used during pit stops to control a driver's actions in the cockpit. Having first received a message to brake, the driver then engages first gear before the car is lowered from the jacks and released.

Lollipop man

The mechanic who operates the above-mentioned lollipop. Job requirements include bravery to stand in front of a car whilst it brakes from 60mph to a complete stop in a matter of yards, close attention to detail, and the nerve to release the car only at the moment when all the tyres are changed and the pit-lane can be considered free of traffic.

Lowe, Paddy

Former McLaren's technical director who joined rivals Mercedes in June 2013 as executive director (technical) and who now 'leads' the team alongside Toto Wolff following Ross Brawn's departure.

Lights, The

The five red lights on the gantry above the grid that signal the start of a grand prix. The lights come on in sequence at one-second intervals before being extinguished - at which point the drivers can put pedal to the metal. So to speak.

Liuzzi, Vitantonio

Former Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Force India and HRT driver - a career arc that tells its own story, perhaps, despite his junior reputation as an ace karter.

Lotus

The name for the team formerly known as Renault and a very impressive outfit through the 2012 and 2013 seasons before losing their way in 2014 and 2015. See also: Renault; Genii Capital

Lotus, Team

Norfolk-based team originally established by legendary F1 designer Colin Chapman in the 1950s, winning world titles in the 1960s and 1970s before going out of business in 1994. Name returned to F1 in 2011 after Tony Fernandes bought the rights, prompting a legal battle with Group Lotus.

Lowdon, Graeme

The recently-departed Manor sporting director and president and, while it's not also his job title, all-round good guy.

So what have we forgotten? Let us know with an email to F1Feedback@sky.uk