F1 seeks fan concepts to enhance broadcast coverage

The Formula One motor racing championship has revealed its latest measure to enhance the sport’s broadcast coverage, with the annual F1 Innovation Prize being adapted to reward the winner by formally introducing his or her concept into the series.

The F1 Innovation Prize, backed by Formula One, commercial partner Tata Communications and the Mercedes team, is now in its fifth year but for the first time the $50,000 (€42,771) first prize will be complemented by a commitment from F1 to put the winning idea into action.

This year’s competition, which was launched today (Thursday), has a theme of ‘My F1’ and is asking for proposals to “bring fans closer to the cockpit” by taking all data available from a race – human, mechanical and technical – and formulating a concept which could be incorporated within F1’s broadcasting output.

Five finalists will be rewarded with a trip to the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 19-21. They will present their ideas to a panel made up of Formula One’s managing director of motorsports, Ross Brawn; reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton; managing director of Tata's F1 business, Mehul Kapadia; Mercedes technical director James Allison; Martin Brundle, former F1 driver and commentator for UK broadcast partner Sky Sports; and F1's director of digital and new business Frank Arthofer.

The winner will assist in developing their concept at Formula One’s new research and development centre. Brawn said, according to the Autosport website: “Tata Communications has been at the forefront of transforming the way fans experience the sport.

“One of the key elements of our partnership is the F1 Innovation Prize which, since its inception in 2014, has established itself as an unrivalled crowdsourcing platform in Formula One. This continued evolution of the competition has taken us to a unique place where fans' wishes are more than just an idea on paper and will actually be incubated and prototyped."