FIA continues with garage cameras to monitor teams at each race

The FIA has successfully trialled a new ‘eye in the sky’ in-garage camera system to ensure the security of Formula 1 parc fermé regulations. At the Bahrain Grand Prix, closed-circuit cameras operated in the garages of all 12 teams, to allow FIA technical staff to maintain the ‘hands-off’ regulation that applies during the parc fermé period.

The cameras were installed with the blessing and technical assistance of the teams and their presence resulted from extensive pre-season discussions between teams and the governing body as to how best to run parc fermé in 2010, with a greater number of competitors present (12 teams, 24 cars).

Under the previous parc fermé arrangement, all cars were relocated from teams’ own garages to a dedicated FIA garage space immediately after the end of qualifying, until five hours before the race. During that time, the cars were in the care of the FIA and out of bounds for team members. The greater number of cars present in 2010, however, has made their relocation into a single FIA-controlled area more difficult.

A technical solution to this logistical problem has been reached with the new camera system. From the start of Saturday qualifying until five hours before the race, all team garages can now be camera-monitored by selected members of FIA technical staff.

The cameras, mounted in the bespoke gantry above each car, have two modes of operation: ‘normal’ and ‘night’. In ‘normal’ mode, which is started at the beginning of qualifying, cameras are accessible by FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer; after qualifying the cameras switch to ‘night’ mode, and are configured to view the entire car and detect any movement in its immediate vicinity. Once qualifying is complete and the cars are returned to their pits, they are covered, sealed with a tamper-proof fastener and placed under camera surveillance. A security guard watches the camera feeds from all garages and alerts the technical team to any untoward activity.

The digital recordings made throughout the post-qualifying parc fermé period are initially in memory-saving low-resolution, but this switches immediately to hi-res if sensors detect any movement near the cars. These hi-res images can be inspected ‘live’, or during replay, to assess whether the movement is benign (such as a breeze rippling a car cover) or an attempt to make an illegal adjustment or modification.

Early reaction to the system has been positive as it has helped resolve a difficult technical and logistical problem for both the teams and the FIA.

Parc fermé camera surveillance will be in operation throughout the Australian Grand Prix weekend and thereafter.