As F1 finally gets under way in Austria over the July 3-5 weekend, it will do so with a new TV graphics package. Now, if you are anything like me then you’ll receive this news with a modicum of trepidation as last year’s “Battle Cards” and “passing Prediction” graphics were patience-wearing additions to the broadcast and moved my viewing experience to patronizing levels. This year, it seems that new graphics are being developed and they are doing so in conjunction with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Fingers crossed that this doesn’t become as tedious as the previous iterations and I suppose the AWS moniker is supposed to ensure it’s efficacy but if I’m honest, I am hoping the data is collected and displayed in a more professional, less sophomoric format.
Fans watching the Austrian GP will see the brand new ‘Car Performance Scores’ graphic, comparing different cars’ performance throughout the lap in real time, based on low-speed cornering, high-speed cornering, straight line performance and car handling.
That data is gathered from the 300 sensors on each F1 car, which generate over a million data points per second that are relayed back to the pits.
Five additional new graphics will be rolled out throughout the rest of the season, offering never-before-seen insight into the on-track action, including:
• Ultimate Driver Speed Comparison, which will allow fans to see how their favorite drivers compare to other drivers in history, dating back to 1983, to help determine the fastest driver of all time. This will debut on August 7-9 at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone.
• High-Speed/Low-Speed Corner Performance, which will show fans how well drivers tackle both the fastest (109+mph) and slowest (below 78mph) bends on the track. This will debut on August 28-30 at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.
• Driver Skills Rating, which will break down and score driver skills to help identify the best ‘total driver’ on the track, based on factors such as qualifying performance, starts, race pace, tyre management and overtaking/defending styles, to provide an overall driver ranking. This will debut in the second half of the season.
• Car/Team Development & Overall Season Performance, allowing fans to see teams’ pace development throughout the season, based on their race-to-race performance. This will debut in the second half of the season.
• Qualifying and Race Pace Predictions, which will gather data from practice and qualifying laps to predict which team is set to perform best during qualifying and the race. Again, this will debut in the second half of the season.
I agree with your fears! I expect this to be not only sophmoric but down-right childish. As read these descriptions I could not stop thinking these are nothing but e-sports game metrics. These will NOT be helpful to understanding or predicting the actual race, but instead give e-gamers more toys to play with.
This’ll be like watching the Olympics.
Day 1 “Who the hell watches the long routine in Gymnastics!?”
Day 2 “Well, they bent their legs slightly on the landing, so they’ll be sure to dock some points. The overall form was mediocre at best.”
Because F1 fans aren’t nit-picky enough as it is!! haha
Okay, so of course there’s a 78% likelihood this turns out to be as stupid as F1’s owner’s moustache, but just to try and keep an open mind – would the driver’s skills rating be some expression of excellence which took the car out of the equation? Like, I could almost think this was pretty neat if they did something like weight it by the qualifying times of the teams so that it was like ‘who’s getting the most out of the car they’re in’. I mean we know Lewis is bringing a first place car in first, and we’re… Read more »