Racing number legibility

[JordanMugen]

Do folks think FIA should make a clarification about the legibility of racing numbers on the cars?

For example Ferrari have black numbers on a red background on their 2022 livery, and worse, some cars have stylised numbers that are almost illegible. It shouldn't take detective work to read the race number, they are supposed to be highly visible at speed for the purposes of (back-up) manual race timing (if required) after all!

Something along the lines of "Hindu-Arabic numerals must be used with sufficient contrast and legibility to be correctly transferred to text by [X] OCR software, when photographed at X mm distance using a Y mm lens with f/3.5 on a Nikon XYZ in a shaded pit garage" perhaps?

And that's just an 8:

For reference, Google Lens refuses to recognise that number as text at all let alone as a 63! [Google Lens has no trouble identifying the "Right F" which is actually legible...]

I'm not sure I would want to go far as saying "you must have white or black squares of (say) 200x200mm with respectively black or white Helvetica numerals of no less than 150mm height" (as you might find in the regulations of say Formula Vee or Formula Ford), they can still have creativity and styling choices but with the rules as they are F1 livery designers really seem to be taking the mickey!

[jumpingfish]

Absolutely agree, the FIA needs to clarify this. In addition to the size, font, height of the number, a strict position and background for the number must also be specified so that the contrast is maximum (black text on white for example). I wrote earlier that Ferrari had the best option in 2018, from any angle the number was clearly visible even in poor quality video (360p). Of course, if the broadcasts were in 4k60fps, with a perfect picture, then no problem, but in reality the quality is worse and hard to see.

[JordanMugen]

Absolutely agree, the FIA needs to clarify this. In addition to the size, font, height of the number, a strict position and background for the number must also be specified so that the contrast is maximum (black text on white for example). I wrote earlier that Ferrari had the best option in 2018, from any angle the number was clearly visible even in poor quality video (360p). Of course, if the broadcasts were in 4k60fps, with a perfect picture, then no problem, but in reality the quality is worse and hard to see.

https://i2.wp.com/www.vapoteurs.net/wp- ... 2018-9.jpg

I believe that was a response to the 2016 requirements, should F1 go back to those?

We require each car number to be clearly visible from the front of the car (Article 9.2). We feel that to be clearly visible the numbers should be no less than 230mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 40mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background.

A report will be made to the stewards concerning any car that does not comply with the above minimum requirements.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/fia-r ... 0/5016420/

The FIA, perhaps unwisely, seem to have dropped these requirements.

[Sieper]

Please, please, please, no led signs. For the love of Formula.

I’m looking at the T-cam when I need quick identification.

[jumpingfish]

Absolutely agree, the FIA needs to clarify this. In addition to the size, font, height of the number, a strict position and background for the number must also be specified so that the contrast is maximum (black text on white for example). I wrote earlier that Ferrari had the best option in 2018, from any angle the number was clearly visible even in poor quality video (360p). Of course, if the broadcasts were in 4k60fps, with a perfect picture, then no problem, but in reality the quality is worse and hard to see.

https://i2.wp.com/www.vapoteurs.net/wp- ... 2018-9.jpg

I believe that was a response to the 2016 requirements, should F1 go back to those?

We require each car number to be clearly visible from the front of the car (Article 9.2). We feel that to be clearly visible the numbers should be no less than 230mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 40mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background.

A report will be made to the stewards concerning any car that does not comply with the above minimum requirements.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/fia-r ... 0/5016420/

The FIA, perhaps unwisely, seem to have dropped these requirements.

Sure they should

Please, please, please, no led signs. For the love of Formula.

I’m looking at the T-cam when I need quick identification.

But not all people remember which driver is with yellow T-cam, and who is with black one I can name only 4-6 drivers which I know what cameras do they have. And no need LED, just black numbers on white background

[NathanOlder]

Please, please, please, no led signs. For the love of Formula.

I’m looking at the T-cam when I need quick identification.

Yeah T Cam is absolutely all you need. If anything they could bring back the red T Cams as well. The noses are getting smaller, so the numbers will get smaller if you want them visible from the front.
Also when cars are in a group, the numbers can be useless where as the T Cam is still usually visib.

[Stu]

Numbers are easier to read on a still shot (one big benefit of stills over video.
Have a look at some moving footage of last years cars. Not picking on them, but the Mercedes had awful numbering (just a coloured outline) that made it practically impossible to read on a moving image. Mentioned in another thread yesterday, but try watching footage when both Mercedes are not in the same frame (not hard- sorry VB fans!!) and rapidly identify which one isn’t ‘car#6’….

[michl420]

The best thing is a T-cam in different colors. To think this further even better would be a red and yellow HALO. In old days driver have different Helmet colors, but now the colors are relativ even and they sit deep in the car. But I also think the numbers should be better to read. NO LED!!!

[Big Tea]

The best thing is a T-cam in different colors. To think this further even better would be a red and yellow HALO. In old days driver have different Helmet colors, but now the colors are relativ even and they sit deep in the car. But I also think the numbers should be better to read. NO LED!!!

A yellow 'patch' on the halo would be an additional aid too. Viable from outside and onboard.

[jjn9128]

The best thing is a T-cam in different colors. To think this further even better would be a red and yellow HALO. In old days driver have different Helmet colors, but now the colors are relativ even and they sit deep in the car. But I also think the numbers should be better to read. NO LED!!!

Thing is, my eyes (and I'm sure others) don't go to the T-cam. Oddly I found the Williams red triangles on the wing pylons and the Benneton red nose tip easier to spot - though in those days driver's helmets were easier to distinguish too.

[JordanMugen]

Thing is, my eyes (and I'm sure others) don't go to the T-cam.

I don't look at the T-cams either, I couldn't tell you which driver had the yellow one and which had the plain black one.

I rather liked the nice big numbers that complied with Whiting's directive. I always look for the number or the helmet colour.

T Cam is absolutely all you need.

Number 77 = Bottas, you can't miss it - it's easy! I don't understand how looking for the (much smaller) yellow stripe on the T-cam is supposed to be easier?

"...numbers should be no less than 230mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 40mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background. A report will be made to the stewards concerning any car that does not comply with the above minimum requirements." It's so easy to have good numbers.

Now that there are driver numbers which don't change, it is much easier to remember the numbers than T-cam colours.

[Big Tea]

The best thing is a T-cam in different colors. To think this further even better would be a red and yellow HALO. In old days driver have different Helmet colors, but now the colors are relativ even and they sit deep in the car. But I also think the numbers should be better to read. NO LED!!!

Thing is, my eyes (and I'm sure others) don't go to the T-cam. Oddly I found the Williams red triangles on the wing pylons and the Benneton red nose tip easier to spot - though in those days driver's helmets were easier to distinguish too.

My go to point was always the helmet, but these days they see to either all blend into the same 'blob' or be more influenced by light/shadow angle. Bring back the plain 3 colour hat I say ( but my grandkids say I'm a grouch about things like that )

[michl420]

The best thing is a T-cam in different colors. To think this further even better would be a red and yellow HALO. In old days driver have different Helmet colors, but now the colors are relativ even and they sit deep in the car. But I also think the numbers should be better to read. NO LED!!!

Thing is, my eyes (and I'm sure others) don't go to the T-cam. Oddly I found the Williams red triangles on the wing pylons and the Benneton red nose tip easier to spot - though in those days driver's helmets were easier to distinguish too.

You are right. In 1999 Mclaren run front wings with one red and one black sponsor logo and it was a really good indicator.

[Cuky]

The best thing is a T-cam in different colors. To think this further even better would be a red and yellow HALO. In old days driver have different Helmet colors, but now the colors are relativ even and they sit deep in the car. But I also think the numbers should be better to read. NO LED!!!

Or at least differently colored mirrors, like Sauber used to have in late 90s where driver 1 would have red mirrors and driver 2 would have yellow. Here a picture from Melbourne 1998, that year they also painted the headrest in the same color as mirrors


Or even doing something like a yellow detail on driver 2's front and rear wings would suffice (like how Ferrari used to do in late 80s and early 90s).

Though, FIA should leave teams some freedom with how they put numbers on their cars (colors, fonts etc.) they should really prescribe some basics, like size, separation of different digits, use of clearly contrasting colors... and if teams don't behave then do what football leagues started doing after teams got design happy with fonts for player's numbers and names... they standardized them for the whole league and teams are only allowed to customize it's colors and add team crests.

[NathanOlder]

T Cam is absolutely all you need.

Number 77 = Bottas, you can't miss it - it's easy! I don't understand how looking for the (much smaller) yellow stripe on the T-cam is supposed to be easier?

"...numbers should be no less than 230mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 40mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background. A report will be made to the stewards concerning any car that does not comply with the above minimum requirements." It's so easy to have good numbers.

Now that there are driver numbers which don't change, it is much easier to remember the numbers than T-cam colours.

I agree numbers would be the way to go IF you had the right place to put them at the size you want. Noses are narrower and narrower , so the numbers on them will get smaller and smaller.

the side on shots we dont get as much as the front on shots as a lot of cameras are at coners watching the cars come towards them. And when the cars are coming towards the camera, the numbers aren't all that uselful.

From this shot, I can tell who is tucked up behind Lewis, no number placement will ever help with that unless they are big numbers on the rear wing.



Thinking about it, maybe the rear wing is the way to go, with a big plain panel and a standard font with the drivers name. Similar to how Mclaren used to do it with the ban on tobacco advertising but with no logo and just a standard font.