Formula 1 enhances live race coverage in vital first few seconds with new Start Analysis F1 Insight By Heather McLean, Editor
Thursday, October 21, 2021 - 14:03
Print This Story
Powered by AWS, Start Analysis shows those vital few seconds at the start of the race when drivers are going from a standstill to incredibly fast, up against their toughest rivals
Formula 1 debuted a brand new onscreen F1 Insight called Start Analysis at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix held on 10 October 2021 at Istanbul Park in Tuzla, Istanbul.
Powered by AWS, the new insight analyses those vital few seconds at the start of the race when drivers are going from a standstill to incredibly fast, up against their toughest rivals. The graphic shows which driver reacts the fastest, who controls the critical first phase with the throttle and clutch synchronisation, and who has the fastest overall launch up to 200 kilometres per hour.
F1 engineer, Rob Smedley, comments on why this stat is set to be a hit with F1 fans. The start, or launch as it's known within F1, is absolutely edge of the seat stuff for fans, drivers, and the engineers alike. It is one of the most exciting parts of a Grand Prix race and yet it's all over and done within seconds.
Given the importance of these initial few seconds of a Grand Prix race, the teams put a huge amount of effort into every detail. There are a number of precise and concurrent actions that the driver needs to carry out in harmony with the vehicle control system and power unit. This is by no means a simple task and requires, as is the norm in Formula 1, the optimal blend of both engineering and technical excellence and driving skills.
This is just the start. We need to build a statistical picture in different tracks and different conditions [using Start Analysis]. Only then will the trends emerge that will help the fans understand the launch at a deeper level
Smedley goes on: F1 and AWS have produced an F1 Insight graphic that unpacks another part of the Formula 1 weekend. We will be able to go back and really get under the skin of how each driver performed at all the crucial phases of the launch. I am looking forward to being able to show how these incredible athletes can react to the start lights going out. Prepare to be surprised by just how good they are.
Enhancing live coverage
Smedley comments on how the new stat was used by F1 and broadcasters at the weekend to enhance live coverage of the race: We used Start Analysis powered by AWS to give an initial level of data as to how the start unfolds and how the drivers compare against each other.
This is just the start, he continues. We need to build a statistical picture in different tracks and different conditions [using Start Analysis]. Only then will the trends emerge that will help the fans understand the launch at a deeper level.
Over the past two years, Formula 1 has embraced AWS's services to perform intense and dynamic data analysis, he notes. The F1 Insights we're delivering together are bringing fans closer to the track than ever before, and unlocking previously untold stories and insights from behind the pit wall. [At the Turkish Grand Prix], broadcasters showcased graphics that gave an initial level of data as to how the start unfolds and how the drivers compare against each other.
As with all F1 Insights powered by AWS, this is a tool to help the fan understand a particular element of this incredibly complex sport. Each and every insight plays its part in this journey and each one can be used at any particular moment in order to understand the scenario at a deeper level and therefore engage the fan to a deeper level than before, he continues.
He gives an example where too little throttle in the initial getaway phase will result in the engine bogging' and the car pulling away at a slower acceleration than is optimum. On the other hand, too much throttle and the rear wheels will spin excessively, he notes. In turn, this also effects the optimum acceleration, and the driver therefore must judge this to perfection. Another example would be the clutch drop phase, here the driver has to manage the clutch position from the moment the lights go out to the point that they have fully engaged it.
There are a lot of things going on in a short amount of time and huge stakes at play. Imagine what the drivers and teams would give to qualify three places higher on the grid on a Saturday afternoon A good start can give you exactly that effect. To understand the F1 launch we are introducing the next of the F1 Insights powered by AWS graphic; Start Analysis.
Exploiting performance for fans
The aim of Start Analysis is to give the fans at home a more detailed view of how each driver is able to exploit performance (or not) in the start or launch phase. The constituent parts of the graphic are:
Reaction time - the time from when the start lights go out to when the driver reacts by dropping the hand clutch to the mid (semi engaged/semi slipping) position
Initial acceleration phase - how the driver handles the wheelslip, the throttle position, fully releasing the clutch paddle to full engagement, and more
How fast the car and driver are going in the latter part of the launch - using the slip stream, the overall drag of the car, holding position (making as few changes of direction as possible)
Smedley says: If we take each of those elements, then it is possible to divide these into phases and graphically output each of these to see how one driver compares to another or what the overall rank is. The two parts of the latest graphic therefore are reaction time, 0-100kph to give an appraisal of the initial start phase performance and finally 0-200kph, which highlights the overall performance from the split second the car starts to move until 200kph.
From these two parts that build t
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
29/05/2026
Experimental HIV vaccine achieves a long-sought goal In a first for the field, all non-human primates given a new series of vaccines generated antibodies capabl...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
FOX Sports' MLB coverage dominated the night at the 47th Annual Sports Emmy ...
28/05/2026
One of the most memorable postseasons in baseball history would have had no memo...
28/05/2026
NBC's Sunday Night Football is among the most-decorated and most-watched pro...
28/05/2026
The 2026 Sports Emmys marked a watershed moment for Prime Video Sports. After bu...
Formula 1 enhances live race coverage in vital first few seconds with new Start Analysis F1 Insight By Heather McLean, Editor 
