Starting grid
The starting grid is the staggered arrangement of cars at the start, set by qualifying and adjusted for any penalties.
Also called the grid
Cars line up in pairs, offset so no driver is directly behind another, with pole on the side of the track that gives the better run to the first corner — which varies by circuit and is a real advantage.
"The grid" is also used loosely to mean the full field of drivers in a season, as in a twenty-car grid.