F1's new test tracks: railway tech set to transform the way you watch GPs

F1
- Last updated: February 13th 2024

You've probably encountered the next generation of F1 tech on your morning commute: James Elson explores how rush hour on the railways will lead to better GP footage and the ability to 'race' alongside your heroes

UK train

Rail networks – F1's new test track?

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Shivering on the platform, waiting for a train which feels like it might never arrive, may seem a world away from the fast-pace of F1 and the opening round of the season in sun-kissed Bahrain. But in some ways, the humdrum commute is showing grand prix racing the way when it comes to cutting-edge technology.

The 7.52 pulling into the station could be helping to transform the way that you watch races in future, from more camera angles, clearer footage and the ability to virtually join grands prix in real time, competing at the highest level of esports against ‘ghost racers’ that imitate exactly what each team and driver are doing at that moment on track.

Holding back this next-generation viewing experience at the moment are the bandwidth limitations at each venue, limiting the number of video, audio and data streams that can be downloaded wirelessly and broadcast live while a race is going on. It’s one reason why crucial camera angles can be missing from the live broadcast, and some have to be downloaded once the race has finished.

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Thundering down the tracks, however, are the latest 5G Wi-Fi systems, which are able to handle gigabytes of data per second – far more than the existing tech that’s currently used by F1, which receives megabytes per second. This new technology is currently being trialled on commuter trains, where its ability to link thousands of phones to the latest Netflix release in high definition or patch in to an out-of-hours work conference is put to the test during each rush hour — through open countryside, tunnels and dense urban areas. It’s the perfect proving ground for use in an F1 paddock, where hundreds of thousands of phone signals can interfere with data sent from the 20 cars on track.

Behind these tests is McLaren Applied (MA), once of the technology arm of the same-name F1 team, which is now spreading its wings as a separate company. One of its main projects is to developing this superfast and data-rich connection on express trains and branch lines, in conjunction with experts in the 5G field.

From the archive

Now MA aims to take its techniques for the hugely increased flow of data from railway to racetrack, as its motor sport director Richard Saxby explains, calling it “the next big innovation.” The technology will be combined with the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) which MA supplies to all F1 teams as a standardised component.

“We have a very innovative telemetry system that we are currently trialling,” Saxby tells Motor Sport. “The main idea of this telemetry system is not just about getting the performance data from the car to the pitwall – 80% of the ‘pipe’ that we provide is now freed up and available for the media.

“So, it’ll be able to stream live for 4K and 8K media for things like ghost racing [racing against the live competitors in video games], in-game betting, and many more camera positions.

“With this increased data, we’re then going to be able to stream multiple cameras on all cars, not just a few cameras on a few cars.”

It’s not just viewers who should benefit. Teams will be able to view even more telemetry from their cars too. “This ‘pipe’ still needs to be able to provide the capacity for performance-related data as well,” adds Saxby.

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Esports is an area which could be greatly enhanced by the new technology – ghost-racing Lando Norris anyone?

F1 esports

With the recent Netflix-driven media explosion centred around F1, MA is very keen to emphasise that it has its finger on the motor sport pulse – and is aware of on which side its bread is buttered.

“We know we do have to focus on how we get the media off the car” says Saxby. “And of course, we don’t want to just select certain drivers or certain cars – it’s quite a business to be able to stream live media from all of them.

From the archive

“Esports is very big and relies a lot on in-game camera work. Camera media, information graphics, Netflix – it’s a big undertaking, while at the same time being able to transfer the performance data to the rest of the team.”

With testing now limited to one pre-season three-day stretch in Bahrain and teams understandably preferring to rely on proven systems during races, opportunities to actually run the new technologies are few and far between. So, as MA has diversified its clients beyond motor sport, thinking outside the pitbox has meant racing tech can be developed elsewhere too.

“Everything that we do on trains and transport currently has come from our original telemetry experience and application,” says Saxby. “It was a natural sort of fit for us to develop that into other areas of the business.

“What we’re doing now is we’re taking learnings from that and bringing it back into motor sport – it’s come full circle.”

McLaren Applied chairman and former Honda F1/Brawn team boss Nick Fry explains the benefits of testing ‘in the loop’ of railway networks.

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“It’s about the environment it’s tested in,” he says. “The common characteristics are things that move fast: cars and trains. The other common characteristic is they both work in difficult environments.

“Getting data off an F1 car at a circuit on a Sunday when there are 100,000 spectators and God-knows-how-many radio and television stations there is a nightmare. If it works on the Thursday, there’s no guarantee it’ll work during the weekend, the signal degrades because the air is just filled with so much stuff.”

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The frenzied atmosphere of the morning commute therefore provides the perfect opportunity to test the mettle of new 5G technologies.

“Trains have got a slightly different problem in that unlike F1 cars [Monaco, Suzuka etc aside], they go under bridges, through embankments with trees overhanging etc, which means the transmitting data can be really quite difficult. So there are elements there which actually make it very suitable for testing and development.”

Though those involved are reluctant to reveal a timescale, a huge amount of on-track (i.e. the race circuit, not railway) testing in the lab, at proving grounds and round the circuit has now been conducted with the system ready for “imminent deployment.”

The result, McLaren Applied is that fans can “definitely expect more new, cool and innovative camera shots to be available to enrich the media experience”, while F1’s Esports championship could be revolutionised too.

It looks like the railways could be behind yet another revolution.

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