The FIA plans to use an advanced AI-based system called ECAT to monitor track limits for every car at every corner starting in 2026. This technology aims to enhance accuracy and speed in detecting violations, building on existing tools that have already reduced human review by 95%. The update includes sending infringement footage directly to teams for greater transparency.
Enforcement of track limits has long been a contentious issue in Formula 1 grands prix. Drivers push boundaries to gain lap time advantages, often accusing rivals of violations while denying their own. These disputes can delay race results, as seen in the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix where the FIA reviewed over 1,000 suspected infringements.
To address this, the FIA partnered with Catapult to develop an automated detection tool integrated into RaceWatch, the race management software used by race control and remote operations. This computer-vision system recognizes a car's silhouette against camera-defined reference points and notifies teams of potential breaches within seconds. According to the FIA, it has reduced cases requiring human intervention by 95%.
For 2026, updates will make the process more efficient. The FIA will send teams direct footage of any track-limit violations by their drivers, minimizing debates and speeding up feedback. The AI system will leverage high-performance GPUs for real-time analysis of every lap.
"The new system will be based on a centralised camera controller, which will not only allow us to set all the distances from a single point, but also to distribute the required processing," explained Chris Bentley, the FIA's Single Seater Head of Information Systems Strategy, in an interview with Motorsport.com. "We'll be able to run the computer-vision software on any machine in the network, send it the portion of video to process, and receive the result, enabling us to handle more and more data."
The enhancements include a precise positioning system that combines multiple data sources, creating a real-time "digital twin" of track activity. This allows monitoring even in areas without camera coverage by using geofencing, sector-time delays, and deviations from the ideal racing line.
The core ECAT (Every Car All Turns) concept interprets each car's behavior against a reference model, cross-referencing with micro-sector timing to flag incidents. "If a car deviates from the ideal line, it will potentially cover more distance," Bentley said. "That allows us to see a difference in the sector time and go back to understand where it went off track or what happened."
The system evolves from manual checks to a semi-automatic process, retaining human oversight for penalties like strikes or flags. It can detect infringements solely from positioning data, such as abnormal trajectories or entry into virtual zones. Bentley noted that elements like centralized camera management and geofencing are already operational in 2025, with full implementation advancing.
By making decisions more data-driven, the FIA aims to reduce subjectivity in track-limit enforcement, potentially curbing ongoing debates.
