FIA To Trial AI For Automated Track Limits Checks In Abu Dhabi

The FIA, Formula One's governing body, will trial using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to monitor track limit breaches automatically during this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Seeking to improve the efficiency of policing track limit violations, the FIA will deploy Computer Vision software that uses shape analysis of video footage to detect when cars exceed the white lines at circuit boundaries.

The AI system aims to sift through incidents and prioritise genuine track limit breaches, where all four wheels cross over the line. It is intended to reduce the workload of the FIA's remote operations centre (ROC) staff, who currently manually review hundreds of possible violations each race weekend.

Track limits policing has proven challenging for the ROC, with events like the Austrian GP in July seeing over 1,200 potential breaches that required assessment. By the season's conclusion in Qatar and the US, the ROC had increased its resources but was still reviewing over 800 corner passes per race.

FIA Deputy Race Director Tim Malyon explained that similar Computer Vision technology is used effectively in medical screening to discount normal cases and direct clinicians to potential problems. The FIA hopes the AI can perform the same function by dismissing clear-cut legal passes and flagging the tougher decisions for human review.

If proven reliable in Abu Dhabi, automated track limit monitoring could be rolled out next season.