Formula 1 fans will enjoy helmet cam views of all 20 drivers sometime this season, as well as multiple new graphical options. (Note: The images shown here are prototypes and do not necessarily reflect the final implementation.)
Helmet cameras have been used more frequently in recent years, but F1 was limited by the fact that only Bell helmets were FIA homologated for use, which meant only drivers racing could be selected. with that brand. Now, all 20 drivers’ helmet providers have been approved for use, meaning all options are available for F1 streaming, although it’s likely only up to eight can be used per live race due to restrictions. bandwidth.
There will also be further developments with pedal cameras to show the workload drivers have inside the cockpit, with the aim of showing both footwork and steering wheel inputs simultaneously.
“We decided ‘let’s do more in the cockpit’ because that’s the area we don’t see,” F1 director of broadcast and media Dean Locke said. “I am very jealous of MotoGP, that you see these riders doing everything on the bike. So how can we see more of what we don’t see, which is basically in the cabin… They’re doing a lot in there, and how can we get that?
After the successful implementation of driver tags last season with on-board cameras that include the name of the car on the front and the live distance between the two, F1 is also set to roll out similar technology from on-track cameras and helicopters. to help show how battles come and go. This is likely to extend to pit stops from aerial shots, showing driver positioning and gap-closing.
New “Alert” graphics will also be introduced that will provide faster updates than race control messages when drivers leave the track or turn, especially when replays are playing or the racing action cannot be cut.
Further changes to the graphics were approved to try to provide more information on screen, as well as increase viewer engagement by highlighting strategic dilemmas and asking fans to pick what they think a team or driver should do in time. real. Many of the graphics are in the proof of concept stage and will be released at different times throughout the season.
“We have this huge growth in new fans… So how do we attract, encourage and embrace those kinds of fans, but not alienate our hardcore and die-hard F1 fans? To be honest, it’s been a graphical battle for years and years.
“I think we were very afraid of alienating our entrenched fans, but I think we’re finding this really good middle ground. It’s not necessarily about the celebrities on the grid, but sometimes I get it from the announcers saying, ‘Oh, walk away from that battle into the crowd.
“We are very lucky to have these amazing environments. Stadium sports are really easy to film, but they all look pretty similar. We want people to tune in and say, ‘Oh, we’re in Bahrain, we’re in Abu Dhabi, we’re in Las Vegas.’ You know where we are.
“You can’t just do car, car, car, track, track, track. We have to be incredibly careful with the cuts, because sometimes we mess up, but it’s about showing the event.”
While bandwidth and weight limitations mean there are only a select number of cameras that can provide live feeds during a race, more attention is being paid to being able to get images from the other cameras more quickly to allow angles to be shown. additional during the live broadcast. broadcast instead of after the race on weekends.
