Formula 1 will introduce a new rear-facing camera from Spain: What we can expect from the new feature
The new camera will give fans a unique perspective of the cars behind, as it will be mounted on the rear crash structure that protrudes from the back of the car. This is a big departure from previous practice in Formula 1, where the rear-facing camera is mounted in the center of the car near the cockpit.
While the rear view previously included the engine cover and rear wing, the new angle offers a clear view to the rear – which should be particularly spectacular when the cars are almost hanging off each other’s diffusers.
Speaking to Motorsport.com’s global voiceover, Dean Locke, F1’s Director of Broadcast and Media, says the new angle should show some of the spectacular onboard scenes we’ve seen in other racing categories – particularly sportscar and touring car racing.
“Our rear-facing rollbar camera is good, but it’s in the middle of the car,” he says. “So you don’t get what we do in the Porsche Supercup, where we put something in the rear lights and then get the two cars very, very close together.”
Formula 1 conducted some experiments with the new rear camera last year together with Aston Martin and the FIA. The view was spectacular, but positioning the camera in such an extreme position was not without its difficulties.
Locke: “It was really amazing and we liked it a lot, but it’s just bloody far away from our processor. It’s four meters long, and with that kind of cable there can be a lot of interference and so on. So we’ve been working on some issues.”
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Sainz has a charging Red Bull in his rear views BelgianGP F1 pic.twitter.com/SpXXS09UCl
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Once the technical problems had been overcome, the final hurdle was to obtain the approval of the teams and the FIA, as the camera is located in a safety-critical area of the car.
However, as everyone was convinced that the use of the camera would not have any disadvantages, the plan to use the camera regularly in the races from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards has now been approved.
