FIA opens remote operations centre at Biggin Hill to support race control
The FIA has opened a Remote Operations Centre at Formula 1's Biggin Hill campus. Analysts there review live feeds and data to support race control and the stewards, with computer vision helping to flag possible infringements. It has been operating since the Dutch Grand Prix.
A second pair of eyes in Kent
The FIA announced on 20 October that its new Remote Operations Centre (ROC) is officially open. It sits inside Formula 1's Media & Technology Centre at Biggin Hill in the United Kingdom, the hub from which the sport's international broadcast is produced.
The centre was opened by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali. The FIA says it has been fully operational since the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix and describes it as a multi-million-pound investment in technology, infrastructure and people.
What the centre does
According to the FIA, the ROC provides round-the-clock support to race control and the stewards on grand prix weekends. Analysts review more than 140 audio and video feeds, car positioning telemetry and team radio, and help identify possible infringements. The examples named include jump starts, incorrect grid positioning, track limits, pit lane offences and compliance with stop-and-go penalties.
The FIA also says AI-assisted shape recognition, computer vision and automated tagging of radio messages help flag possible incidents. Up to 16 staff work at the centre on race weekends. After events, the team reviews incidents to refine future rules and to train race control operators.
Where it fits
The FIA calls the ROC one of four pillars of its race operations, alongside Race Control, Systems Operations and the Stewards. It supports Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 weekends and also feeds the High Performance Programme for officials, which has run since 2023.
Ben Sulayem said the centre "represents an important milestone" in the championship's evolution. Domenicali called it a "world-leading facility" that will support the FIA's trackside activities.
Why it matters
The centre is meant to give officials more support when decisions must be made quickly. The FIA does not say that the centre makes decisions: the stewards and race control remain responsible.
The next test comes at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where the race starts on 25 October at 20:00 UTC. Our data shows 17 of 23 races done this year, so the centre will work through six more race weekends in 2026.
