How Is F1 Filmed? – Global Sports Planet

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Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport: the world\’s best drivers race the fastest and most technically advanced cars in exotic locations around the world. However, it is not just a racing spectacle, but a technical masterpiece perfectly coordinated which often goes unnoticed.

From incredible helicopter shots to immerse onboard angles and numerous moving and stationary cameras around the circuit, F1 carries out incredible production and logistics during each session to catch all the action on TV involving a large number of professionals.

Much has changed since the early days of the category: from a few rudimentary cameras to multiple high-quality camera angles in which every shot is calculated and processed. Let\’s go into details about filming in Formula 1.

Evolution Of Filming In F1

From the very beginning of Formula 1, attempts were made to capture the excitement and on-track action of the races, with the technology available at the time. The first cameras that were used took grainy images, were quite heavy and large and there were only a few around the circuits.

In addition to the trackside cameras, onboard images also appeared in the 1950s, but they were not practical during races due to their size. With these few cameras, F1 began to be broadcast on British television from the first season in 1950, although until the 1980s races were rarely shown live or in their entirety, often broadcasting only highlights or nothing at all.

From the 1980s onwards, broadcasts increased considerably, and by the 1990s most races were being broadcast, both in the UK and abroad. Until the 1990s, broadcasts relied on microwave signals from a helicopter flying over the circuit, which was a major financial and physical expense.

This was parallel to the improvement of filming technology and resources. In the mid-1980s, onboard cameras began to be used in races, which gave a new dimension to broadcasts, although at the beginning they were not very sharp, were often interrupted, and were very unstable.

Helicopters also began to be used to record shots from above, which gave great dynamism to the broadcasts. This was coupled with the increased number of trackside cameras and improved onboard cameras, which greatly improved the quality of the broadcasts.

What Cameras Do They Use In F1?

As mentioned above, there are several types of cameras that have been progressively introduced in the category, thus significantly improving the broadcasts.

Specifically, during each weekend up to 126 cameras are used for the recording and broadcasting of the Grand Prix. Of these, we can divide them into two categories, moving cameras and stationary cameras:

Moving Cameras In Formula 1

Helicopter: The helicopter is the most expensive and complex camera of all. The helicopter takes footage of the track location, the circuit from above, and the on-track action, and is constantly moving around the circuit.

The helicopter uses an advanced camera stabilizer and the pilot and camera operator communicate constantly to find the best shots and action.

Onboard Cameras: It is one of the most fundamental cameras, as they are the ones that really offer an image from inside the track itself. Each car has 5 onboard cameras: 2 on the T-shape (just above the driver’s helmet with one facing forward and another backward) and 3 on the nose and chassis.

These 5 onboard cameras provide a complete picture of where each car is and which drivers are around it, making them perfect for watching driver battles. In total, these cameras weigh just under 4 kilos. In recent years F1 has also been experimenting with 360-degree cameras, although not live.

Cable Cam: This camera is located between the pitlane and the finishing straight. It is a camera attached to a cable that can move up to 130 km/h. It is called Camcat and is also used in the Olympics in athletics races.

In Formula 1, they are used when cars enter the pits, and also to obtain a different angle during starts.

Eye-Cams: For the past few years, F1 has been experimenting with cameras located in the drivers\’ helmets, right next to the eyes, in the foam rubber covering the helmet, and in 2022 it has finally introduced them to the races.

These cameras are simply spectacular, as they are the only ones that give us what the drivers actually see. They are very small and light, so they are not an inconvenience for drivers.

Stationary Cameras In Formula 1

Trackside Cameras: Next to the onboard cameras, the trackside cameras are the most fundamental. They are the most used during broadcasts, as they are essential to see which cars are where. They provide images of all sections of the circuit, as there are about 25 of these cameras placed around the track.

The cameras used are Grass Valley cameras with Canon broadcast lenses with a zoom range of between 9mm and 810mm mounted on a Vinton tripod head that is very sturdy and smooth, essential for capturing the cars as they speed by.

Slow Motion: These cameras are positioned at some key locations on the circuit and are used to show replay footage, and to see in detail what has happened, especially when there are accidents or collisions between drivers. F1 uses Phanton v642 high-speed broadcast cameras that can shoot up to 5850 fps.

Other Cameras:In this category, we find different cameras focusing on the reactions from the grandstand, on the pit lane (from above to see the pit stops), in the garages to see the mechanics, and cameras embedded in the track to show the speed of the cars as they run over them.

Do They Use Drones In Formula 1?

Many sports have implemented the use of drones in recent years, giving them a new dimension and greater dynamism, although they have not been widely used in F1.

Drones are sometimes used by teams for filming days, but they are not used in official sessions. The main reason is safety because if a drone falls on the track or on a car it can have very dangerous consequences, so the helicopter is still used.

F1\’s director of broadcasting and media, Dean Locke, describes it this way:

\”If you look at things like downhill skiing, or anything like that, they\’re following a skier. If that drone falls or something happens to it, it\’s not a big deal. There aren\’t many spectators at the top of the mountains, so it works pretty well for them.

If we\’re following one car, there\’s usually another one behind, which causes us some problems. Also, I think the other part is that our single-seaters are going over 300 kilometers per hour, so 300 kph and a drone is not very good.\”

However, he does not rule out the use of drones in the short term when they experiment more with them.

How Are Microphones Used In F1?

So far, we have only talked about the visual section, but sound in motorsports is something fundamental. To this end, F1 has collaborated with a Danish company called DPA Microphones.

Apart from the trackside cameras, F1 places around 147 independent microphones around the circuit to capture the sounds of the cars more efficiently as they pass through those sections. These microphones are not very large and look just like the normal ones we are used to seeing.

With these microphones, the true sound of the cars is captured and appreciated. Watching old and new broadcasts, the difference between the noisy, high-pitched V10 and V8 engines of a few years ago and today\’s quieter, bassier V6 engines is quite noticeable.

Many viewers complained about the lack of noise from the hybrid turbo V6 engines when they were introduced back in 2014, which put a spotlight on the sound of the broadcasts. In 2018, F1 introduced microphones underneath the cars, next to the exhaust, that fully capture the sound of engines. These microphones are combined with trackside microphones to broadcast the sound on the TV.

TV Production In F1

With so many cameras and microphones around the circuit and on the cars, virtually everything that happens on and off the track is covered. However, a television production team is needed to monitor all camera angles and sounds simultaneously for live broadcasting.

This is a very difficult, complex, and tense job, which requires a large number of people to be effective. The man behind it is Phil Rorke, the broadcast executive director, who does a great job of coordination and leadership to bring us TV content at its highest level.

For the broadcast to be effective and possible, there are several teams that mix and match everything together, while the TV director chooses what goes onto the world feed. Specifically, there are 3 teams dedicated to a specific task:

Replays team: They are in charge of analyzing all the cameras, especially the slow-motion ones, to rebroadcast anything interesting that has happened.

Track Mix: Theyfollow the race using only the trackside cameras, showing if there are fights between drivers, if they are following each other closely or if there are any incidents.

Main Feed: They combine the track mix and replays with all the other camera options like the helicam, onboard cameras, and pitlane angles, which is what is ultimately broadcast live.

TV production in F1 is not only about showing the most exciting parts of the race and the action on the track, but also about telling stories, focusing on different drivers and teams fighting each other for the championship, as well as conveying emotions, often with shots of mechanics in the garage, team managers or fans in the stands.

The Logistics Of F1 Filming

The Formula 1 season consists of 22 races in 21 different countries. Most circuits do not have a dedicated broadcast center, so Formula 1 must transport all the equipment needed for each race, which is broadcast in more than 50 countries.

F1 has its own mobile broadcast center, with all the equipment and space needed for filming and production. The work of dismantling, transporting, and reassembling the broadcast center is very complex, especially during back-to-back races when they have very little time to do so.

To do that, two jumbo jets are required in races that are far apart or on different continents, and 26 flatbed trucks between European races.

The weekend sessions start on Friday, but by Thursday everything must be ready, so sometimes it\’s a real challenge to get everything ready on time. Formula 1 has an impressive logistical work behind it, not only for filming and production but for everything in general, which is done in a totally efficient way.

How Do They Film Drive To Survive?

Formula 1 has gained quite a bit of popularity around the world thanks to the Netflix documentary “Drive To Survive”, which first premiered in 2019 covering the 2018 F1 season, and every year since then a new season has come out.

The documentary covers the Formula 1 season, not only the races themselves, but the stories and behind-the-scenes behind each driver, rivalry, and team, offering a broader and more accessible view for any type of viewer.

To do this, Drive To Survive uses a large amount of FIA footage from race broadcasts, which it mixes and matches for added entertainment and drama as if it were a movie.

Likewise, it also uses its own images and interviews from outside the track of the drivers and team members, such as in the paddock, pit lane and garage, in order to know from the inside what happens in the category, a world that has remained hermetic for a long time.

This type of footage shows the more human face of the category, and what each personality in the paddock is thinking and doing, something we don\’t usually get to see. This format, which combines on-track action from the broadcasts and unpublished off-track images, has been a total success around the world, introducing Formula 1 to a large number of new viewers.

Conclusion

Filming Formula 1 is a masterpiece that requires a great deal of work behind the scenes, as covering all the action on and off the track and delivering an entertaining broadcast that covers the important parts is no easy task, and often goes unnoticed.