The FIA can and must find a long-term solution to the track limits issue in F1. Too often, throughout the year, circuits are faced where meticulous discussions about millimetric excursions take place, often penalized with considerable delay, causing general dismay. Amid technological innovations and suggestions from industry experts, let’s explore what the Federation can do.
Track limits are a fundamental part of Formula 1 regulations. As the literal translation implies, they indicate the “limits of the track” within which drivers must stay, much like in other sports. In this case, they are marked by the white lines that follow the course of the tracks. The cars must always have at least one wheel in contact with these lines when the drivers surpass them.
So far, it is straightforward, but the problem thickens when considering two crucial factors. Formula 1 is a sport of incredible precision, where even a few centimeters make a difference. This means that very often, the difference between a wheel with surface contact with the line and one just beyond it is millimetric. Traveling at over 200 km/h, such infractions become imperceptible.
Two goals for the future
Formula 1 drivers cannot exceed track limits at their leisure. If this transgression during Free Practice only results in the cancellation of the lap time, during qualifying, the same cancellation can be fatal for a driver. In the race, the number of possible infractions is limited: a white-and-black flag is shown at the third, and a 5-second penalty is applied at the fourth.
However, often drivers are not warned promptly enough. In fact, in some cases, decisions from the Federation arrive even after the end of the ongoing session. One of the main goals of the FIA should be to find a system that quickly notifies the driver. But this necessarily requires the implementation of an automatic detection device.
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Currently, the final decision still rests with a data analyst, a human who reviews the video of the infraction. According to a recent FIA report, both the GPS on the cars and the sensors on the curbs make more mistakes than humans. The key to the immediate future could, therefore, lie in instantly analyzing images of potential transgressions.
The Artificial Intelligence Hypothesis
At the beginning of 2022, the Federation introduced the Remote Operations Centre, a facility designed to assist stewards in analyzing what happens on the track. Over the two years of its deployment, its capabilities have even surpassed those of Race Control. The future of the ROC could resemble football’s VAR, and the assessment of track limits could be entrusted to remote “referees.”
The introduction of AI, in the form of Computer Vision, will be the most significant innovation in the coming years. Tested at the Abu Dhabi GP, it is an additional control system, placed between the detection of a potential infraction and the ROC referees, to quickly eliminate false reports, i.e., those where no violation exists.
This will allow transitioning from a hypothetical number of 1200 reports to a much more manageable package of 50 reports, which will then be judged directly by the ROC or Race Control. This screening will also enable informing the driver promptly in case of a potential track limits infraction.
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