DNF vs. Retirement

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A2K78

A2K78

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we all know in motorsports they mean essentially the same thing, but if you had your way and could decide which term is used in motorsport universally(e.g. regardless of geographic region) which would be it?

for me DNF just seem more logical.
 
Well, RET works fine, and just replace it with DNF when the race is over. I know once you retire you're out of the race but Did Not Finish doesn't roll that well when the race isn't exactly over.
 
Downhill Dino
Well, RET works fine, and just replace it with DNF when the race is over. I know once you retire you're out of the race but Did Not Finish doesn't roll that well when the race isn't exactly over.
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That's a fair conclusion. RET when race is in Progression and DNF when race is over.
 
Downhill Dino
Well, RET works fine, and just replace it with DNF when the race is over. I know once you retire you're out of the race but Did Not Finish doesn't roll that well when the race isn't exactly over.
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I thought that in most sports one simply shows in one's race-place until the race is over? What's to say a car won't run again and finish the chequer lap?
 
That's how I figured it. A team might get a DNF classification while in the garage working on the car, not enough laps completed, didnt start the race. A retirement would be like a forfeit( mechanical failure, collision, no possibility of returning to the track).
 
05XR8
A team might get a DNF classification...didnt start the race.
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I can't think of a sport where a DNS isn't either shown as a DNS or by simply not having the car on the race standings at all?

A2K78
we all know in motorsports they mean essentially the same thing, but if you had your way and could decide which term is used in motorsport universally(e.g. regardless of geographic region) which would be it?.
Click to expand...

At what point will you begin to start sentences (especially OPs) with capital letters? They're really easy on most devices, after all.
 
Last edited:
TenEightyOne
I thought that in most sports one simply shows in one's race-place until the race is over? What's to say a car won't run again and finish the chequer lap?
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They do, don't they? But do they not also show if someone has retired?
 
As a stickler for accurate Wikipedia motor racing tables, I have become accustomed to Ret even though I prefer DNF.

But those are after the fact and the point about a DNF mid-race is noted. It's more of a Will Not Finish in that case.
 
Wikipedia also uses the acronym "NC" for drivers who've managed to finish but were too many laps down on the winner.
 

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