The FIA has significantly increased the number of staff monitoring potential infringements by Formula 1 drivers.

The FIA’s Remote Operations Centre team leader and regulations specialist Steve Porter revealed there are almost twice as many staff members policing the sessions as there are drivers competing in them.

“We now have over 40 people both trackside and remotely analysing real-time data to make impartial and better-informed decisions,” he explained. “Historically it’s been known as one or two people in race control but now we have that team ethos.”

The FIA’s race operations include race control at the track, the Remote Operations Centre which is now based at Biggin Hill in the UK, systems operations and the stewards panel.

“The four components of race operations work simultaneously to manage and enforce the sporting and regulatory aspects of a Formula 1 grand prix and also Formula 2 and Formula 3 race weekends,” said Porter. “While race control focuses on the racing, the other three elements support race control and the race operations in general by ensuring the adherence to the FIA sporting regulations, technical regulations, and wider regulatory framework.”

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