A NEW driver camera technology, which is anticipated to bring F1 television viewers even closer to the action, will be piloted this weekend and built exclusively into Bahrain-made helmets.
The Drivers’ Eye camera is integrated into the helmet and will let audiences get a unique look akin to the driver’s point-of-view.
This will put viewers virtually in the cockpit with F1 drivers, and let them see exactly what the driver is seeing.
The patent for the technology is owned by Zeronoise, a sister company of Bahrain-based Bell Racing Helmets under the parent Racing Force Group, and has been installed in a select few Bell helmets for the upcoming race weekend.
“The Driver’s Eye will offer a completely new and unique view to audiences, where, for example, if a driver looks at the mirror to see which car is chasing him, F1 fans will see that along with him,” explained Aref Yazbek, Racing Force Group’s chief business officer and managing director of Bahrain operations.
“If there is an insect blocking the driver’s view, fans would be able to see that as well. It will be a live feed available for F1 to use as part of their broadcast, wherever they think it would add an exciting angle to the race.”
Mr Yazbek believes this will attract more audiences to the sport, building on the popularity garnered through the Netflix series Drive to Survive, first released in 2019 and updated every year before the new season.
The Driver’s Eye is a 2.5-gram camera integrated into the inner lining of the helmet and appearing as a small black dot under the shield next to the driver’s eye level.
It provides live-feed capabilities, and is available as an added option for any Bell helmet.
During last weekend’s pre-season testing, four drivers tested the camera.
As the season progresses, the option to integrate the camera will be available to all 12 drivers currently relying on Bell Racing Helmets for their protective headgear needs.
Driver’s Eye was designed by a team of specialists in Italy and was first piloted by Formula E and former F1 driver Felipe Massa in the Formula E series three years ago.
The Driver’s Eye currently being rolled out is the second generation of the one in Massa’s helmet, and also has the capability to blur out certain parts of the cockpit in case teams are wary of giving away their competitive advantage.
Mr Yazbek is also open to integrating the technology into Formula 2 and Formula 3 broadcasts to make them more exciting and help attract a larger fanbase to the less popular, but just as exciting leagues.
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