In Formula 1, data is everything, but knowing how to use it effectively is far from straightforward. To work on race strategy, many teams rely on a platform called RaceWatch, which manages over 200 dedicated channels in real time and helps anticipate what will happen on track. Its predictive models even take into account the unique characteristics of each driver.
Victory in F1 arises from a delicate balance between multiple factors: car, drivers, and… strategy. When performance levels are close, the difference can come down to the tactics chosen at the pit wall. It is one of the most complex exercises in modern motorsport, as teams analyze dozens of possible combinations behind the scenes, trying to foresee every possible race scenario. The key point is that success is not about reacting—it’s about anticipating.
This is where RaceWatch comes into play, a platform developed by Catapult and also used by the FIA. Its origins date back almost twenty years, evolving season after season alongside an increasingly complex Formula 1, ultimately becoming a strategic ally capable of turning data into a competitive advantage.
Previously, we analyzed in detail how the FIA uses RaceWatch to monitor on-track activity and guide decisions, including penalty assignments. But the platform was originally conceived to be an integral part of a team’s strategic operations.
Tracing its evolution is like exploring a significant part of recent F1 history, as its growth mirrors that of a sport increasingly driven by data. Interestingly, this platform celebrated its twentieth world championship in 2025, highlighting its lasting impact on race strategy.
A tool that has changed F1 strategy over twenty years
To understand RaceWatch’s importance and evolution, we must go back to 2008, when Formula 1 was taking its first steps toward a new era of complexity and data. It was in this context that the idea behind the platform was born: to transform a series of scattered information, previously accessible only through separate tools, into a single environment capable of correlating, visualizing, and interpreting real-time track data.
Gareth Griffith, CTO of Catapult, and James Vowles, then a strategist at Honda and today Team Principal at Williams, began shaping a platform that not only became one of the operational pillars of modern F1 but also a forerunner of today’s strategic support systems.
“We started in F1 with Honda’s strategy team in 2008. At the time, the strategist was James Vowles, and we began discussing how to improve the way team data was presented on TV, as that was my background. But working with James, it quickly became clear that the same visualization capability could be useful directly at the pit wall,” Griffith told Motorsport.com.
“Back then, F1 had just started using GPS data alongside lap times, but it was very limited. All systems were simple viewers: one map for GPS, a page for lap times, nothing that truly connected the information. James even created personal tools, spreadsheets to compile data and work on strategy. He is brilliant.”
“In a sense, it was almost hard to follow the race. That’s when the idea developed: integrate video analysis and tools directly into the system, allowing simultaneous race monitoring and strategy planning within one environment rather than separate software. This was the core principle of RaceWatch: gather all sources in one system and provide strategists with the information they need.”
The first test took place at Monza in 2008, followed by an update for the Singapore GP a few weeks later. At the end of that season, Honda withdrew, becoming Brawn GP, but RaceWatch remained crucial. With its success, it quickly drew attention from the FIA, which at the time had basic tools to monitor races.
Two paths: understanding and predicting the race
RaceWatch’s development for teams has always followed two complementary directions. The first is reactive: selecting the truly relevant information and displaying it at critical moments so strategists can make decisions quickly under maximum pressure, when margins for error are minimal.
The second direction is more ambitious: anticipating what might be needed even before an event occurs. In this space, RaceWatch evolved into a platform where teams can simulate and predict future scenarios. Today, these two aspects coexist and also reflect the distinction between team use and FIA use.
Teams use it to build strategies, simulate alternatives, identify pit windows, and spot tactical opportunities. The system integrates deeply with team-specific data, such as Mercedes and McLaren, which have been using it for years. This includes vehicle and tire behavior models, essential for defining long-term strategy.
Predictive models consider driver characteristics
One of the most fascinating aspects is the inclusion of driver-specific models. Teams evaluate many factors to construct a clearer picture of how the race might unfold. Beyond tire models, they include overtaking models, competitor performance metrics, Safety Car effects, fuel management, and more.
These models feed into Monte Carlo statistical simulations, creating virtual races based on adjustable parameters. This approach identifies all possible outcomes and their likelihood, integrating and updating this information in the live strategy platform during the race.
Essentially, the system takes each car’s base lap time, integrates factors like tire degradation, and calculates potential race pace. But it goes further: accounting for pit stop time, overtaking probabilities in each corner based on car and circuit characteristics, and even individual driver tendencies, producing a comprehensive predictive model.
“We have driver-specific models because some drivers are better at overtaking than others. We also estimate error probability and lap time distribution: the best drivers are more consistent. This allows us to build a predictive representation of the race,” Griffith explained. All of this is integrated into RaceWatch, providing both prediction and real-time solutions for strategists.
Strategy quality also depends on the data collected during free practice. “In FP1 and FP2, if it’s a standard weekend and dry, you try to establish all parameters: car base lap times, tire degradation. You’re building the race model inputs. From that point, the system continuously predicts what could happen.”
“One of RaceWatch’s strengths is reacting to changes during the race. If degradation is higher or lower than expected, or car performance differs from estimates, you can update the strategy. For example, if degradation is higher, the system can tell you if a two-stop strategy will recover the necessary time. It models all this and allows adaptation.”
Over 200 dedicated channels for strategy
Data is vital, but teams must also monitor the race closely. Previously, limited video feeds made it difficult to follow cars not often shown on TV. RaceWatch includes a “Follow Me TV” system, allowing teams to track any car and analyze factors like tire graining.
“Knowing which camera is capturing a car, we can follow it around the track. We have an automated TV director called Follow Me TV: you choose the car, and the system generates a dedicated feed,” Griffith explained.
Teams have around 200 channels of video, audio, and data to refine tactics, monitor pit windows, and anticipate undercuts or opportunities. RaceWatch has become a highly flexible product, offering around 300 customizable dashboards depending on team roles. GPS analysts can advise drivers on braking points or cornering lines.
Today, strategy is not just a pit wall decision but a complex ecosystem combining predictive models, real-time analysis, and distributed expertise. In this scenario, RaceWatch is the lens through which teams observe the race and the compass guiding decisions, culminating in its twentieth world championship in 2025.