
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 ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
16/07/2026
Media organisations with tested plans for new products, services or revenue models can now apply for grants of up to 30,000 through the Business Innovation Syn...
16/07/2026
This recent graduate and Georgia native has turned an early fascination with live production into a growing passion for camera work
In the live-sports-video in...
16/07/2026
TNDV is marking the first anniversary of Aspiration 35, a mobile production truck built around ARRI Alexa 35 Live camera systems. Over its first year, the truck...
16/07/2026
ATSC has completed a major revision to its A/85 Recommended Practice: Techniques...
16/07/2026
FloSports has announced an exclusive global media partnership with CrossFit for the 2026 CrossFit Games, presented by Air National Guard, beginning July 21 in S...
16/07/2026
Sennheiser has released firmware version 1.4 for its Spectera wireless system and announced the Spectera Command Button (Cat. No. 701014). The update adds comma...
16/07/2026
ESPN and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) have announced a multi-year...
16/07/2026
Audio-Technica has announced the 20 Series Control Application, a Stream Deck plug-in for compatible Audio-Technica USB microphones. The application is compatib...
16/07/2026
The fifteenth season of The Voice - La plus belle voix on TF1 used four Solid St...
16/07/2026
Gray Media and the Atlanta Hawks have announced a broadcast partnership that wil...
16/07/2026
Season 3 of Netflix's docuseries, which dropped this week, follows Jayden Da...
16/07/2026
The Texas Rangers and Rangers Sports Network presented by Progressive (RSN) have announced BZZR as the new direct-to-consumer distributor for Rangers game broad...
16/07/2026
With England's FIFA World Cup 2026 team getting ready to fly home after losi...
16/07/2026
In a return to Royal Birkdale, the team enjoys partnering with ETP and Gravity M...
16/07/2026
Along with a new studio at Ball Arena, the Colorado-based RSN is working with XR...
16/07/2026
Austria was back at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the team d...
16/07/2026
With 42 RF cameras and high-power radio mics deployed, the spectrum environment ...
16/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
16/07/2026
Popular library rebuilt in new Orbita Engine
Other Worlds Evolved is the latest of Zero G's sample libraries to be treated to a ground-up rebuild using ...
16/07/2026
Created in collaboration with A. G. Cook
The newest addition to Native Instruments' software collection introduces a new synth created by A. G. Cook, a ...
16/07/2026
NITV and SBS bring Australians to the heart of Garma
16 July, 2026
Media releases
The Garma Festival returns from 31 July-3 August, with NITV and SBS deliv...
16/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz supplies conformance test systems to Marquistech for India's...
16/07/2026
June brought stabilization to the television market. Poles spent an average of 3 hours and 36 minutes a day in front of their TV screens exactly the same as i...
16/07/2026
Glensound returns to IBC with a major new addition to its intelligent loudspeaker range, the Greater Divine Supernal studio monitor, alongside recent developmen...
16/07/2026
33 leading exhibitors are taking part in the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Pavilions and linked locations across IBC2026 (Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September)...
16/07/2026
Hitomi Broadcast will introduce Spectra, a new HDR colour verification solution measured in picture, not using VPID, at IBC2026 (Hall 10, Stand A40). Expanding ...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) today announced a strategic new integration to deliver ...
16/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Capture Immersive Flight for New Cirrus App
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Leader in Personal Aviation taps URSA Cin...
16/07/2026
XenData Announces LTO Archive Appliances with both File and S3 Object Storage In...
16/07/2026
Modern broadcast facilities are no longer confined to a single control room. Production teams are spread across multiple workstations, machine rooms, studios, c...
16/07/2026
Fox Corporation Executives to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Full Fiscal Year 2026 F...
16/07/2026
More interfaces now compatible with Focusrite Control 2 Your Focusrite interface might now be compatible with a public beta support of Focusrite Control 2. If...
16/07/2026
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is coming to GeForce NOW at launch, with the playable...
16/07/2026
Together the semi-finals had a combined reach of 1.98 million unique individuals...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...