19/03/2022
NEWS STORY
The FIA has given an update on its Remote Operations Centre (ROC) - previously referred to as Virtual Race Control - which aims to prevent, ahem, the sort of "human errors" witnessed in Abu Dhabi.
The first phase of the Remote Operations Centre is now online at the FIA Headquarters in Geneva, and functions in the following capacity:
Procedural and regulatory matters may be referred to the ROC, which operates in an advisory capacity and will not interrupt the workflow of the Race Direction team onsite or cause any delay to the decision-making process
While similar in principle to the 'VAR' in football, the ROC will act as a supporting resource for the Race Direction team with data comparable to that of more than ten simultaneous football matches, including over 140 video and audio sources
The ROC provides an additional resource for the FIA to thoroughly replay and review aspects of the Competition and the decisions made in order to refine and improve procedures for the future. It does not have any regulatory power and cannot be used to reassess or alter past decisions.
As the Remote Operations Centre is developed, it will become a valuable training and educational resource for of the next generation of Race Control staff and Stewards. Its benefits, we are told, will later extend to other FIA Championships and the wider international community of FIA National Sporting Authorities (ASNs).
Check out our Saturday gallery from Bahrain, here.